207 


A* 


-NRLF 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA. 

Gl  FT    OF 


C/ass 


MAJOR  WILLIAM  FERGUSON 

MEMBER  OF  THE  AMERICAN  PHILO 
SOPHICAL  SOCIETY,  OFFICER  IN  THE 
ARMY  OF  THE  REVOLUTION  AND  IN 
THE  ARMY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES 


BY 

CHARLES   BEATTY  ALEXANDER,   LL.D. 

OF  THE  SOCIETY   OF  THE  CINCINNATI 


NEW     YORK 

MCMVIII 


The  edition  of  this  volume,  limited  to  two  hun 
dred  copies,  all  being  numbered  and  signed  by  the 
author,  was  printed  on  Italian  hand-made  paper,  at 
The  Trow  Press,  in  the  month  of  February,  1908. 


This  is  No 


THE  TROW  PRESS,  NEW  YORK 


PREFATORY    NOTE 

THE  following  brief  memoir  of  Major 
William  Ferguson  has  been  compiled  from 
various  sources.  Extracts  from  some  of 
these,  including  certain  letters  and  other 
memoranda,  will  be  found  in  the  appendix. 
A  considerable  part  of  the  narrative,  which 
deals  mainly  with  Major  Ferguson's  military 
career  during  the  War  of  the  Revolution, 
and  during  a  subsequent  campaign  against 
the  Indians,  is  taken  from  an  article  by  the 
Rev.  Samuel  D.  Alexander,  D.  D.,  which  was 
published  in  the"  American  Historical  Record" 
(Vol.  II.),  from  the  Diary  of  Major  Ebenezer 
Denny;  and  from  Howe's  "  Historical  Collec 
tions  of  Ohio."  The  sketch  is  intended  pri 
marily  for  the  descendants  of  Major  Fergu 
son,  but  the  writer  hopes  that  it  may  be  of 
some  interest  to  his  brethren  in  the  Society 
of  the  Cincinnati,  some  of  whose  ancestors 
are  mentioned  in  its  pages. 


MEMOIR 

William  Ferguson  was  born  in  Armagh, 
Ireland,  of  Scotch-Irish  parents.  The  exact 
date  of  his  birth  is  unknown ;  but  toward  the 
close  of  the  year  1774,  being  about  twenty- 
one  years  of  age,  he  came  to  America  with 
his  parents,  Usher  and  Mary  Ferguson,  and 
settled  in  Philadelphia.  The  country  was  at 
that  time  in  a  state  of  great  unrest,  which 
soon  developed  into  active  warfare.  Penn 
sylvania  was  among  the  first  of  the  colonies 
to  take  arms,  and  Ferguson,  always  a  man  of 
honor  and  keen  sensibilities,  was  not  slow  to 
discover  on  which  side  he  stood.  On  Octo 
ber  30,  1775,  he  enlisted  as  bombardier  in 
Captain  Proctor's  Company  of  Pennsylvania 
Artillery.  Proctor,  himself  an  Irishman,  was 
the  son  of  Francis  Proctor,  who  emigrated 
before  the  Revolution,  and  took  up  his  resi 
dence  in  Philadelphia.  He  raised  the  only 
regular  organization  of  Pennsylvania  artillery, 
which  was  celebrated  by  the  famous  Major 

5 


Andre  in  a  poem  composed  shortly  before 
his  death: 

"And  Major  Lee  took  horses  rare 
And  Proctor  with  his  cannon/' 

It  may  be  added  that  Captain  Proctor  was 
well  known  as  a  free  mason,  and  afterwards 
organized  a  lodge  in  his  regiment,  on  May 
1 8,  1779,  although  no  record  of  membership 
is  in  possession  of  the  Masonic  Order.  This 
artillery  regiment  fought  in  the  battles  of 
Trenton,  Princeton,  Brandywine  and  Ger- 
mantown.  In  1779  it  formed  part  of  the 
force  of  Sullivan  in  his  expedition  against  the 
Six  Nations. 

On  October  27,  I775,1  Proctor  had  ap 
plied  to  the  Council  of  Safety  for  appointment 
as  captain  of  an  artillery  company  which  the 
provincial  authorities  had  already  determined 
to  raise  and  employ  at  Fort  Island,  in  the 
Delaware,  for  the  defense  of  the  Province. 
In  this  application  he  was  successful,  receiv 
ing  on  the  same  day  a  commission  as  Captain 
of  Artillery,  with  authority  to  recruit  a  com 
pany.  Two  months  later,  he  was  stationed 

1  This  account  of  the  formation  and  career  of  the  First 
Pennsylvania  Artillery,  is  taken  in  part  from  The  Pennsyl 
vania  Magazine  of  History  and  Biography,  Vol.  XVII,  No. 
4,  p.  454  et  seq. 

6 


at  Fort  Island,  in  command  of  about  ninety 
men,  charged  with  the  active  defense  of  the 
river.  On  May  6,  1776,  he  received  orders 
from  the  Committee  of  Safety,  "  to  call  every 
boat  and  soldier  to  their  stations,  and  each 
to  prepare  for  immediate  action  and  to  suffer 
no  officer  or  man  to  leave  their  stations  with 
out  the  license  of  this  board  or  the  command 
ing  officer."  The  British  men  of  war  Roe 
buck  and  Liverpool  lay  in  the  Delaware  just 
below  Philadelphia,  and  on  May  8,  1776,  an 
engagement  took  place  between  these  ships 
and  the  naval  forces  of  Pennsylvania.  In 
cooperation  with  the  latter,  serving  on  the 
Hornet  were  Captain  Proctor  and  one 
hundred  of  his  men  who  volunteered  for  the 
fight.1  This  was  probably  the  first  active 
service  in  which  Ferguson  took  part.  Proc 
tor's  command  remained  at  Fort  Island 
through  the  next  spring  and  summer,  per 
forming,  however,  under  order  of  the  pro 
vincial  and  state  authorities,  various  services 
in  Philadelphia  and  at  other  neighboring 
points. 

On  July  31,  1776,  Proctor's  Company 
consisted  of  one  hundred  and  fourteen  men 
all  told,  together  with  twelve  musicians.  The 

1  Scharf  &  Westcott's  "History  of  Philadelphia,"  p.  306. 

7 


following  is  a  muster  roll  of  its  officers  on 
that  date: 

Captain. 
Thomas  Proctor. 

Captain  Lieutenant. 
Jeremiah  Simmons. 

First  Lieutenant. 
Hercules  Courtenay. 

Second  Lieutenant. 
John  Martin  Strobogh. 

Lieut.  Fire  Worker. 
Francis  Proctor. 

Quarter  Master  Sergeant. 
John  Webster. 

Corporal  and  Clerk  to  Company. 
Patrick  Duffy. 

Sergeants. 
Charles  Turnbull, 
Jacob  Parker, 
John  Stephenson. 

Corporals. 
William  Ferguson, 
Thomas  Healy, 
George  May. 

(Penna.  in  Rev.,  Vol.  II,  p.  175.) 

As  may  be  seen,  Ferguson's  name  here  ap 
pears  in  the  list  of  corporals. 

The  services  of  the  company  were  so  well 

8 


appreciated  that  on  August  14,  1776,  it  was 
determined  to  increase  the  number  of  men 
employed  to  two  hundred,  and  to  divide  the 
body  into  two  companies.  John  Martin  Stro- 
bogh  was  appointed  captain  of  one,  and 
Thomas  Forrest  of  the  other.  Proctor  as 
sumed  the  general  command  with  the  title  of 
Major. 

On  October  5,  1776,  Ferguson  was  com 
missioned,  by  the  Committee  of  Safety,  Third 
Lieutenant  of  the  First  Company,  under  the 
general  command  of  Major  Proctor.  On 
the  same  day  the  following  resolution  was 
adopted  by  the  Committee : 

"Resolved,  That  a  detachment  be  made 
from  the  artillery  companies  of  the  State,  of 
fifty  men,  to  be  sent  to  Fort  Montgomery, 
under  the  command  of  Captain  Strobogh, 
subject  to  the  direction  of  the  Commander  in 
chief,  and  that  two  of  the  commissioned  of 
ficers  in  his  company,  and  Lieutenant  Proc 
tor,1  of  Captain  Forrest's  Company,  proceed 
with  the  said  detachment  (that  they  may  have 
an  opportunity  of  seeing  service)  to  be  re 
lieved  at  such  time  as  the  Board  may  think 
proper,  and  that  they  shall  march  as  soon  as 
they  are  furnished  with  necessary  camp 

1  Second  Lieutenant  Francis  Proctor. 
9 


equipage.  Major  Proctor  is  to  see  this  re 
solve  carried  into  execution." l 

On  December  i,  1776,  Major  Proctor  pro 
ceeded  to  execute  this  resolution,  and  for  the 
purpose  detailed  Captain  Thomas  Forres^ 
with  fifty  officers  and  privates,  and  two  six- 
pounder  brass  field  pieces.  They  proceeded 
from  Philadelphia  to  Trenton,  and  there 
placed  themselves  at  the  disposal  of  General 
Washington.  They  were  actively  engaged 
in  the  events  which  subsequently  occurred. 
There  is  no  accurate  list  of  those  who  accom 
panied  Captain  Forrest  at  this  time.  There 
were  with  him,  however,  only  two  lieutenants 
in  Captain  Strobogh's  Company,  and  Fergu 
son  may  have  been  one  of  them. 

General  Knox  was  so  impressed  with  the 
efficiency  of  Proctor's  Artillery  that,  in  the 
early  part  of  1777,  he  sought  to  annex  this 
force  to  the  Continental  Artillery  already 
under  his  command.  Proctor  is  said  to  have 
objected  to  such  an  arrangement,  being  un 
willing,  without  an  absolute  order  of  State  or 
Congress,  to  abandon  his  position  as  provin 
cial  commander  and  to  accept  a  position  sub 
ordinate  to  Knox.  But,  on  February  6, 
1777,  the  Council  of  Safety  vetoed  the  pro- 

1  See  Appendix  A. 
IQ 


posed  annexation  of  Proctor's  Company  to 
the  Continental  Army,  and  ordered  that  a 
complete  regiment  of  State  artillery  be  raised, 
which  Proctor  was  to  command  with  the  rank 
of  colonel.  Of  the  part  played  by  Ferguson 
in  the  early  history  of  Proctor's  Company  we 
have  meager  information ;  but  there  are  some 
details  of  an  engagement  in  which  he  was 
taken  prisoner  by  the  British  under  Lord 
Cornwallis : 

"  Shortly  after  its  being  thus  organized, 
Proctor's  regiment  was  deprived  of  the  serv 
ices  of  two  of  its  bravest  officers  and  a  score 
or  more  of  its  men,  who  were  surprised  by 
the  enemy  and  captured.  The  circumstances 
of  this  little  affair  were  as  follows :  General 
Lincoln,  with  about  five  hundred  men,  con 
sisting  among  others  of  a  portion  of  the  Sec 
ond  Pennsylvania  Regiment,  some  militia,  and 
part  of  Proctor's  Artillery,  was  stationed  at 
Bound  Brook,  New  Jersey,  charged  with  the 
protection  of  territory  some  five  or  six  miles 
in  extent.  To  perform  this  service  Lincoln 
was  compelled  to  dispose  of  his  troops  so  as 
to  leave  his  flanks  exposed.  Lord  Corn 
wallis,  who  lay  at  Brunswick,  conceived  the 
plan  of  attacking  Lincoln  and  Chase  the 
morning  of  the  I3th  of  April,  1777,  for  the 

ii 


execution  of  his  design.  The  plan  was  ex 
ceedingly  well  laid  and  nearly  as  well  exe 
cuted.  Through  the  neglect  of  the  American 
patrols  the  enemy  were  allowed  to  cross  the 
Raritan  River,  just  above  Lincoln's  quarters, 
and  to  advance  to  within  two  hundred  yards 
of  him,  before  they  were  discovered.  Lord 
Cornwallis  and  General  Grant  were  with  the 
attacking  party,  and  General  Lincoln  and  his 
command  were  compelled  to  make  good  their 
escape.  The  enemy  remained  about  an  hour 
and  a  half,  destroying  some  stores  before  re- 
crossing  the  river  to  Brunswick;  General 
Lincoln,  being  reenforced,  took  possession  of 
the  post  again  in  the  evening. 

"  The  British  loss  upon  this  occasion  was 
reported  by  Lord  Howe  to  be  three  killed 
and  four  wounded.  In  regard  to  the  Ameri 
can  loss,  General  Washington,  on  April  i4th, 
reports  to  the  Board  of  War,  as  follows : 
'Our  chief  and  only  loss  was  two  pieces  of 
artillery,  and  with  them  Lieutenants  Fergu 
son  and  Turnbull,  with  about  twenty  men 
of  Colonel  Proctor's  regiment.  A  party  of 
horse  was  pushed  so  suddenly  upon  them 
that  they  could  not  possibly  get  off.'  " * 

1  The  Pennsylvania  Magazine,  Vol.  IV,  No.  4,  Phila., 
1880.  Article  by  Benjamin  M.  Nead,  Esq. 

12 


From  April  13,  1777,  until  December  i, 
1780,  Lieutenant  Ferguson  was  a  prisoner  of 
war,  being  confined  during  a  part  of  this  time 
at  Flatbush,  Long  Island,  where  he  devoted 
much  time  to  study,  particularly  of  ordnance 
and  of  the  art  of  war.  His  intense  interest 
in  his  profession  and  his  enthusiastic  de 
votion  to  perfecting  himself  in  everything 
pertaining  to  it,  were  always  noticeable  and 
won  for  him  the  deep  regard  of  all  with 
whom  he  came  in  contact — whether  soldiers 
or  civilians.  During  the  period  of  his  im 
prisonment  he  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of 
captain.  This  was  on  August  18,  1778;  and 
by  an  act  of  Congress,  on  September  3d,  of 
the  same  year,  his  regiment  was  formally 
admitted  to  the  Continental  Army.  We 
know  but  little  of  his  life  at  Flatbush.  The 
voluminous  records  concerning  those  confined 
there,  now  in  the  Library  of  the  New  York 
Historical  Society,  make  no  mention  of  him, 
nor  does  his  name  appear  in  the  lists  of  those 
who  took  part  in  the  theatricals  organized  by 
the  prisoners  for  their  amusement,  nor  is  he 
mentioned  in  the  many  letters  from  Flatbush 
which  have  been  printed.  Edward  Authill, 
however,  author  of  a  manuscript  treatise  on 
Geography  and  Astronomy,  was  one  of  his 

13 


fellow  prisoners.  He  dedicated  the  work  to 
"  William  Ferguson,  Esq.,  Captain  in  Colonel 
Proctor's  Regiment  of  Artillery,  in  the  Army 
of  the  United  States,"  adding,  "  I  have  singled 
you  out  from  a  number  of  my  unfortunate 
brethren  in  consequence  of  my  observation 
of  your  studious  turn  and  laudable  thirst  for 
mathematical  knowledge." 

In  the  monthly  return  of  officers  of  the 
Pennsylvania  State  Regiment  of  Artillery,  on 
March  29,  1780,  Captain  Ferguson  is  men 
tioned  as  being  "  exchanged  and  in  camp." 
His  actual  exchange,  however,  by  Abraham 
Skinner,  Commissary  General  of  Prisoners, 
probably  did  not  take  place  until  December 
i,  1780. 

After  his  release  Ferguson  seems  to  have 
been  transferred  in  company  with  some 
others  to  General  Greene's  command  in  the 
South,  although  there  is  little  or  no  record  of 
his  position  between  1780  and  1785.  It  is 
known,  however,  that  after  the  surrender  of 
Cornwallis,  three  companies  of  the  Conti 
nental  Artillery  were  transferred  to  the  South 
ern  Army,  under  General  Greene ;  and  in  his 
"Archives"1  Dr.  Egle  refers  to  the  "  Hand 

1  The  writer  has  searched  in  vain  for  the  original  of  this 
return.  But  the  "  Hand  Papers  "  have  been  scattered,,  since 


Papers,"  as  containing  a  return  dated  James 
Island,  S.  C,  January  31,  1783,  which  gives  the 
strength  of  this  detachment  as  follows  :  Capt. 
Ferguson's  Company,  21 ;  Capt.  Bruce's  Com 
pany,  14;  Capt.  McClures'  Company,  25. 

The  following  letter  was  written  by  Fer 
guson  while  in  camp  at  Camden,  South 
Carolina : 

CAMDEN,  April  26,   1781. 
Dear  Doctor: 

I  have  just  received  your  kind  favor  of 
the  4th  ultimo,  and  have  at  the  same  time  a 
direct  opportunity  of  writing  by  Captain 
Campbell,  who  is  returning  to  Carlisle,  to 
whom  I  must  beg  leave  to  refer  you,  particu 
larly  for  the  news,  as  he  is  just  from  camp. 
I  understand  from  him  there  is  like  to  have 
been  shooting  work  at  camp  lately.  Sergeant 
Gosmer  has  been  shot  a  few  days  ago  for  be 
ing  concerned  with  several  others  in  a  con 
spiracy  against  General  Greene.  They  agreed 
to  deliver  the  General  into  the  hands  of  the 
enemy,  who  had  sent  out  one  hundred  and 

their  sale  at  auction  some  years  ago  to  many  different  pur 
chasers.  In  Col.  Rec.,  Vol.  XII,  p.  718,  the  following  ap 
pears,  under  date  of  May  4,  1781:  "At  a  meeting  of  the 
Council,  there  was  voted  in  favor  of  Capt.  Wm.  Ferguson  on 
his  order  the  sum  of  one  hundred  pounds  State  money  to  be 
charged  to  his  account  and  deducted  as  aforesaid." 

15 


fifty  horses  for  that  purpose,  and  had  got  into 
the  rear  of  the  army,  about  two  miles  from 
the  General's  quarters,  but  was  happily  pre 
vented  from  effecting  their  scheme.  The 
British  horse  on  their  return  fell  in  with  be 
tween  twenty  and  thirty  of  Lee's  horse,  of 
whom  it  is  said  they  took  ten  horses  and  nine 
men.  General  Wayne  has  had  a  brush  with 
the  enemy  in  Georgia,  in  which  he  was  suc 
cessful,  but  can't  give  the  particulars.  The 
enemy  desert  very  fast.  Our  army  is  in  a 
most  dreadful  situation  for  want  of  cloathing, 
being  almost  destitute  of  everything  to  ren 
der  the  fatigues  of  war  supportable,  and  pro 
visions  are  very  often  scarce  and  very  bad. 
These  and  the  want  of  pay  are  the  reasons  of 
their  discontent.  The  army  lies  at  Bacon's 
Bridge,  about  twenty  miles  from  Charles 
Town.  How  long  they  will  be  able  to  keep 
that  position,  can't  tell.  The  times  of  the 
Southern  troops  are  dayly  expiring,  and  con 
sequently  the  army  is  lessening  in  number. 

McClure,  Douty,  Parker  and  myself  are 
stationed  at  this  place  and  believe  we  shall 
remain  here  all  summer.  It  is  a  very  poor 
place  at  present,  being  stripped  of  everything 
when  the  British  were  in  possession  of  it,  but 
hope  provisions  will  be  plenty  when  the  new 

16 


crops  are  got  in.  We  have  been  very  busy 
in  making  a  gardain,  and  if  you  pay  us  a 
visit  hope  we  shall  be  able  to  treat  you  with 
some  of  the  fruits  of  our  labour.  If  you 
come  this  way  I  would  beg  leave  to  recom 
mend  the  supplying  yourself  with  a  good 
store  of  coffee  and  sugar,  as  these  articles  are 
very  scarce  and  dear.  The  very  worst  sugar 
half  a  dollar  a  pound,  and  coffee  one  dollar, 
but  dearness  and  scarcity  don't  affect  us  as 
we  have  no  money  to  purchase  were  it  ever 
so  cheap  and  plenty.  I  will  not  particularize 
any  of  my  friends  and  acquaintances,  but 
leave  the  presenting  them  with  my  best 
wishes  to  your  own  discretion.  The  gentle 
men  here  are  all  well  and  desire  their  com 
pliments  to  you  and  all  brother  officers. 

I  am,  dear  Reading,  yours,  etc., 
To  W.  FERGUSON. 

DOCTOR   BEATTY. 

Please  present  my  compliments  to  Cap 
tain  Smith's  family  in  Carlisle.  When  you 
write  let  us  know  the  strength  of  the  regi 
ment  with  you. 

MOSES  COHEN, 

Intelligence  Office, 

East  side  of  Front  Street, 

20  doors  above  Market  Street 


The  war  came  to  a  close  with  the  evacua 
tion  of  the  City  of  New  York  by  the  British, 
on  November  25,  1783,  and  on  December 
23d  Washington  resigned  his  commission 
and  the  troops  were  disbanded.  A  short 
time  before,  a  number  of  officers,  then  at 
Newburgh,  formed  the  Society  of  the  Cincin 
nati,  of  which  Ferguson  was  an  original  mem 
ber.  He  was  one  of  a  number  who  gave  one 
month's  pay  to  the  funds  of  the  Society.1 

The  following  is  one  of  the  few  letters  of 
Major  Ferguson  which  remain.  It  is  given 
here  on  this  account,  not  because  it  has  any 
intrinsic  importance : 

PHILADELPHIA,  January  15,   1783. 
Dear  Doctor : 

Yours  of  the  nth  instant  I  received  this 
morning.  I  am  happy  to  understand  the 
papers  afforded  you  some  amusement  and 
herewith  send  you  some  more.  In  them 
you  will  see  how  the  Censors  have  handled 
the  late  Election.  This  day  they  have  begun 
to  erect  the  Triumphal  Arch,  and  it's  said  the 
display  of  fireworks  is  to  be  on  the  evening 

1  The  writer,  who  is  a  member  of  the  State  Society  of  the 
Cincinnati,  of  Pennsylvania,  in  succession  to  his  great  grand 
father,  Major  Ferguson,  has  in  his  possession  the  original  cer 
tificate  of  membership,  signed  by  General  Washington,  and  at 
tested  by  General  Knox. 

18 


of  the  2Oth  inst,  if  the  weather  be  fair,  if  not, 
on  the  first  that  will  answer.  I  hope  you  will 
come  to  see  them,  as  it  is  said  they  will  ex 
ceed  anything  of  the  kind  that  has  been  ex 
hibited  here  these  several  years.  Doctor 
Martin  was  buried  to-day;  he  was  obliged  to 
be  bound  to  his  bed  for  some  time  before  his 
death,  being  lunatic,  which  they  say  was  oc 
casioned  by  a  fall  on  the  ice.  Crosley  was 
in  town  this  evening ;  he  begs  to  be  remem 
bered  to  you.  People  are  all  well  in  Darby. 
I  see  Ashton,  Sunday  eight  days,  who  told 
me  the  Accounts  were  almost  finished. 
Proctor  is  able  to  drink  his  beer  again. 
Please  to  present  my  compliments  to  our 
friend  Craig,  and  believe  me  to  be  sincerely 

y°urs'  W.  FERGUSON. 

DOCTOR  BEATTY. 

For  some  months  prior  to  the  summer  of 
1784,  there  existed  no  Federal  forces  of  any 
kind.  But  soon  the  necessity  of  some  means 
for  internal  protection  became  clear;  and  by 
the  end  of  1784  several  of  the  States  had  or 
ganized  a  militia  for  home  defense,  and  espe 
cially  for  defense  against  the  Indians,  who 
were  becoming  actively  hostile  along  the 
frontier.  Pennsylvania  was  among  the  States 
which  had  made  this  preparation.  In  June  of 

19 


that  year  a  resolution  was  passed  by  Con 
gress  calling  upon  the  States  to  organize  a 
militia,  and  in  April,  1785,  a  measure  was 
enacted  providing  for  a  Federal  militia  and 
again  asking  troops  of  the  States.  The  regi 
ment  organized  by  Pennsylvania  was  under 
the  command  of  Lieutenant-Colonel  Josiah 
Harmar,  then  stationed  at  Fort  Mclntosh 
(now  Beaver,  Pa.).1 

On  October  20,  1785,  the  Supreme  Ex 
ecutive  Council3  appointed  Ferguson  to  be 
Captain  of  Artillery,  for  service  in  the  regi 
ment  commanded  by  Colonel  Harmar,  and 
this  was  reported  by  the  Secretary  of  the 
Council  to  the  United  States  Secretary  of 
War.  Two  years  later  we  find  further  in 
formation  regarding  Colonel  Harmar's  Regi 
ment,  and  a  muster  roll,  in  the  following 
letter  : 

LT.  COL.  JOSIAH  HARMAR  TO 
PRES.  FRANKLIN,  1787. 

FORT  HARMAR,  AT  THE  MOUTH  OF  THE 
MUSKINGUM,  December  23,  1787. 


I  have  the  honor  to  enclose  to  your  Ex 
cellency  &   the  Honorable,    the    Council,   a 

1  See  Appendix  B. 

*  Colonial  Records.     Minutes  of  Sup.  Ex.  Council  of  Pa., 
p.  569.     See  Appendix  C. 

2O 


return  of  the  Pennsylvania  Troops  in  the 
Service  of  the  United  States,  dated  this  day. 

The  Secretary  at  War  informs  me  that 
Congress  by  their  Act  of  the  3d  of  October 
last,  have  been  pleased  to  call  upon  the  same 
States  to  raise  the  same  number  of  men  for 
three  years,  in  order  that  the  present  officers 
might  be  retained  in  service. 

By  Mr.  Melchior  your  Excellency's  Letter 
was  received,  likewise  one  from  the  hon 
orable,  the  Vice-President,  General  Mifflin, 
&  the  honorable  Charles  Biddle,  Esq.,  the 
Secretary;  all  in  favor  of  this  young  Gentle 
man  for  the  appointment  of  an  Ensigncy. 
Previous  to  the  receipt  of  these  letters  I  was 
induced,  in  my  letter  of  the  yth  August,  to 
recommend  to  your  Excellency,  Mr.  Robert 
Thompson,  a  son  of  the  late  General  Thomp 
son's,  to  fill  the  first  vacancy.  He  was 
warmly  recommended  to  me  by  General  Ir- 
vin  &  several  others  of  his  acquaintance. 

From  the  powerful  recommendations  in 
favor  of  Mr.  Melchior  it  would  be  presump 
tion  in  me  to  urge  the  matter  further,  as  the 
matter  rests  solely  with  your  honorable  body. 

If  it  meets  the  approbation  of  your  Excel 
lency  &  the  Honorable  Council,  the  following 
is  the  arrangement  which  I  wish  to  take  place 

21 


Josiah  Harmar, 


Captain  Joseph  Ashton, 


in    our   State,    for  the    First   United   States 
Regiment,  viz : 

f  Lt.  Col.  Com't 
1  Brigadier  General  by  Brevet. 
Captain  William  Ferguson,  Artillery. 
Captain  David  Ziegler,  Infantry. 
Captain  William  M'Curdy,  ditto. 

f  Infantry,  Vice  Cap 
tain.  Finney,  re 
signed  ist  Sep 
tember. 

Lieutenant  Ercurius  Beatty,  Infantry. 
Lieutenant  Thomas  Doyle,      ditto. 
Lieutenant  John  Armstrong,    ditto. 
Lieutenant   Edward   Spear,   Art'y,   Vice    Lt. 

Ashton,  promoted 
Ensign  Ebenezer  Denny,  Infantry. 
Ensign  Nathan  M'Dowell,    ditto. 

One  of  them  to  be  En 
sign  in  the  Infantry, 
Vice  Ensign  Spear, 
promoted. 

It     is    uncertain 
whether  he  will 
continue  in  the 
Service  or  not. 
Richard  Allison,  Surgeon's  Mate. 


Robert  Thompson, 
Jacob  Melchior, 


John    M'Dowell,  Surgeon. 


22 


Either  Mr.  Thompson  or  Mr.  Melchior, 
whichever  your  Excellency  &  the  Honorable 
Council  shall  judge  most  proper,  will  fill  the 
vacancy  occasioned  by  Captain  Finney's 
resignation.  If  Doctor  M'Dowell  declines 
the  service,  Doctor  Allison,  the  mate,  is,  I  be 
lieve,  in  every  respect  qualified  to  succeed 
him. 

I  have  the  honor  to  be, 
With  the  highest  esteem  &  respect, 
Your  Excellency's  &  the  honorable 
Council's  most  h'ble  &  obt.  Serv't, 
Jos.  HARMAR, 

Lt.  Col.  Com.  ist  U.  S.  Reg,  &  Brig.  Gen. 

by  Brevet. 
Directed, 

His  Excellency,  Benjamin  Franklin,  Esq., 
President,  &  the  honorable,  The  Supreme 
Executive  Council,  Pennsylvania.1 

This  was  the  origin  of  the  First  United 
States  Regiment.  Ferguson's  energy  and 
devotion  in  its  service  were  conspicuous.  He 
was  active  in  fortifying  his  post,  and  in  drill 
ing  his  command.  A  trace  of  his  zeal  as  a 
recruiting  officer  appears  in  the  following  un 
dated  letter : 

1  Pennsylvania  Archives,  Old  Series,  Vol.  XI,  p.  217. 
23 


To  His  Excellency  Thomas  Mifflin,  Esq., 
and  the  Honourable  the  Supreme  Executive 
Council : 

Gentlemen : 

I  have  now  recruited  upwards  of  fifty 
soldiers  as  part  of  the  Pennsylvania  Quota  of 
troops,  and  now  request  that  an  order  may  be 
drawn  in  my  favour  for  fifty  dollars,  on  the 
treasury,  on  the  same  principle  that  Capt. 
Ziegler  rec'd  a  dollar  per  man  for  his  Recruits 
last  year.  I  am,  Gentlemen, 

Your  most  obedient  humble  Servant, 

W.  FERGUSON. 

In  a  dispatch  to  General  Knox  from  Fort 
Washington,  General  Harmar  says :  "  I  am 
particularly  indebted  to  Captain  Ferguson  and 
Lieutenant  Pratt  for  their  indefatigable  in 
dustry  and  attention  in  forwarding  the  work 
thus  far."  This  work  was  the  construction  of 
Fort  Washington,  on  what  is  now  the  site  of 
Cincinnati.1 

About  this  time  a  dispute  arose  between 
Captains  Ferguson  and  Ziegler  regarding 
rank.  There  are  several  references  to  this  in 
contemporary  documents. 

"In  June,  1784,  when  Congress  called  for 

Pennsylvania  Archives,  Vol.  XI,  p.  590. 
24 


a  regiment  partly  infantry  and  partly  artillery, 
Pennsylvania  immediately  furnished  her  quota 
infantry  and  artillery.  Lieut.  Col.  Josiah  Har- 
mar  commanding,  Captain  Douglass  and 
Lieut.  Jos.  Ashton  were  appointed  to  the 
command  of  the  Artillery  Company.  They 
both  belonged  to  Proctor's  regiment.  The 
following  year  Captain  Douglass  was  dropped 
and  Ferguson  took  his  place,  apparently  on  a 
claim  of  rank."  Major  Ferguson's  descend 
ants  claim  that  he  was  in  the  service  continu 
ously  from  1775  until  his  death.1 

It  appears  that  General  Knox,  Secretary 
of  War,  wrote  to  the  Supreme  Executive 
Council2  with  respect  to  this  matter,  and  that 
the  Vice-President  of  the  '  Council  was  in 
structed  to  order  the  Secretary  of  War  to  in 
stitute  a  court  of  inquiry  and  return  a  report. 
In  reply,  General  Knox  wrote  as  follows : 

WAR  OFFICE,  February  16,  1788. 
Sir: 

I  have  the  honor  to  acknowledge  the  re 
ceipt  of  your  favor  of  the  2d  instant,  stating 
the  dispute  of  rank  between  Captains  Ziegler 
and  Ferguson,  and  also  covering  the  certifi- 

1  Pennsylvania  Magazine  of  History  and  Biography,  Vol. 
IV,  No.  4,  p.  489. 

3  Minutes  of  the  Sup.  Ex.  Councily  Vol.  XV,  p.  394. 

25 


cate  of  the  promotions  and  appointment  in 
the  quota  of  Pennsylvania  troops  in  the  serv 
ice  of  the  United  States,  made  by  the  Exec 
utive  Council  on  the  26th  of  November, 
1787 — to  wit:  Lieutenant  Ashton  promoted 
to  be  a  captain,  vice  Finney  resigned— the 
senior  Ensign  promoted  to  be  a  Lieutenant, 
vice  Ashton  promoted,  and  Robert  Thompson 
appointed  to  be  an  Ensign. 

Your  letter  contained  the  first  intimation 
of  the  dispute  alluded  to.  Early  after  the 
formation  of  the  present  corps,  I  directed  the 
commanding  officer  to  assemble  the  other 
field  officers,  and  the  inspector,  as  a  board  to 
settle  the  relative  rank  of  all  the  officers  of 
the  regiment.  But  the  dispersed  and  distant 
situation  of  the  several  companies  prevented 
a  compliance  with  my  orders. 

On  considering  the  subject  of  rank  of  the 
officers  on  the  present  military  establishment, 
it  appeared  perfectly  reasonable  to  me  that  all 
the  commissions  should  be  dated  on  the  day 
of  the  resolve  of  Congress  which  gave  exist 
ence  to  the  corps.  That  unless  this  point 
were  made  a  principle,  officers  might  lose  or 
gain  what  they  regard  as  an  essential  right 
from  the  accidental  circumstance  of  the  legis 
lature  of  the  State  to  which  they  were  at- 

26 


tached,  meeting  a  little  early  or  later  as  the 
case  might  be ;  accordingly,  the  commissions 
were  all  dated  on  the  1 2th  of  April,  1785,  and 
the  settlement  of  their  relative  rank  was  left 
to  the  judgment  of  the  field  officers. 

But  as  the  resolves  of  October,  1 786,  aug 
mented  the  troops,  by  which  officers  might  be 
introduced  on  the  same  grades  with  those 
previously  in  service,  it  became  necessary  to 
hold  up  the  principle  that  officers,  in  the  serv 
ice  of  the  Union,  should  in  cases  of  original 
appointments,  take  rank  from  the  dates  of  the 
acts  of  Congress,  by  which  they  were  raised, 
notwithstanding  any  difference  of  relative 
rank  during  the  late  war. 

In  holding  up  this  idea  as  a  principle,  I 
did  not  think  it  ought  to  operate  prior  to 
April,  1785.  The  corps  raised  for  one  year 
by  the  resolve  of  Congress,  of  the  3d  of  June, 
1784,  I  considered  merely  as  militia,  and  I 
conceive  this  conclusion  was  fully  authorized, 
as  well  by  the  letter  as  the  spirit  of  the  said 
resolve,  and  that  such  temporary  service 
ought  not  in  equity,  nor  could  not  with  mili 
tary  propriety  be  estimated  as  a  counterbal 
ance  for  the  established  relative  rank  which 
might  have  subsisted  for  several  years  of  the 
late  war. 

27 


Notwithstanding  my  opinion  on  the  sub 
ject  of  the  troops  raised  by  the  resolve  of 
June,  1 784,  the  Executive  Council  possess  the 
right  on  an  original  appointment  to  arrange 
their  officers  as  they  please,  but  perhaps  they 
may  on  consideration  be  of  opinion  that  it 
might  conduce  to  the  harmony  of  the  service 
to  leave  the  decision  of  the  present  dispute 
to  a  board  of  field  officers.  If  so,  and  you 
should  be  pleased  to  intimate  such  disposi 
tion  to  me,  I  will  direct  the  commanding  offi 
cer  accordingly.  I  do  not  conceive  that  the 
service  can  suffer  any  degree  of  injury  by  the 
time  such  reference  would  require,  as  the 
present  stations  of  the  two  officers  are  greatly 
separated. 

I   should  be  much  obliged  by  being  in 
formed,   whether    any    measures   have   been 
taken  by  the  Legislature  of  Pennsylvania  in 
consequence  of  the  requisitions  of  Congress, 
of  the  3d  of  October  last,  for  replacing  the 
troops  on  the  frontiers. 
I  have  the  honor  to  be,  Sir, 
With  the  highest  respect  and  esteem, 

your  most  obedt.  &  very  humble  Servant, 

J.    KNOX.1 

1  Pennsylvania    Archives,    Old    Series,    Vol.  XI,    p.  240. 
For  further  letters  on  this  subject,  see  Appendix  D. 

28 


However  this  matter  of  rank  may  have 
been  settled,  it  does  not  seem  that  the  dis 
cussion  interfered  with  Ferguson  in  the  per 
formance  of  his  duty.  Nor  did  he  resign  as 
other  officers  did  in  certain  cases  of  a  similar 
kind.  In  December,  1788,  he  left  Fort  Har- 
mar,  where  he  was  at  that  time  stationed, 
carrying  a  letter  from  General  Harmar  to 
Governor  Mifflin,  at  Philadelphia.  In  this 
letter  Ferguson  is  highly  commended  as  an 
officer.  On  April  20,  1789,  he  married  Su 
sanna,  daughter  of  Markell  and  Mary  Ewing. 
The  wedding  was  at  Philadelphia,  and  the 
bride  is  described  as  "both  a  belle  and  a 
beauty,"  and  a  pastel  portrait,  now  in  pos 
session  of  the  family,  would  seem  to  confirm 
the  latter  statement.  Ferguson,  however,  did 
not  remain  long  inactive.  On  September  2Qth 
his  nomination  was  sent  to  the  Senate  as 
Captain  of  a  battery  of  artillery  in  the  first 
regular  army  organized  under  the  United 
States  Government.  And  toward  the  close 
of  the  year  he  began  to  be  active  in  prepar 
ing  for  the  Indian  War,  which  was  then  im 
pending.  Toward  the  close  of  1789  the  atti 
tude  of  the  Indian  tribes  on  the  frontier  had 
become  decidedly  hostile.  General  Harmar 
was  put  in  command  of  all  the  United  States 

29 


forces  along  the  border;  and  among  these 
was  Ferguson's  Company.  He  was  stationed 
at  Fort  Washington,  being  second  in  com 
mand  to  General  Harmar.  Always  an  en 
thusiastic  and  energetic  disciplinarian,  he  did 
all  in  his  power  to  strengthen  his  post,  and  to 
perfect  the  equipment  and  efficiency  of  his 
men.  But  in  so  doing  he  encountered  many 
difficulties;  for  the  soldiers  were  ill-fed, 
poorly  equipped,  and  quite  unused  to  the 
hardships  of  frontier  life.  Ferguson  com 
plained  repeatedly  of  the  youth  of  the  recruits 
who  came  to  his  command.  He  was,  how 
ever,  forced  to  train  these  raw  young  men  for 
the  defense  of  his  post  and  to  make  them  an 
effective  element  in  Harmar's  fighting  force. 
Ferguson  arrived  at  the  front  on  August  n, 
1789,  joining  the  force  of  General  Harmar, 
and,  on  September  4th,  he  "with  his  com 
pany  was  ordered  to  join  Strong  in  erecting 
a  fort  near  to  Miami." 1  Active  preparations 
for  an  advance  against  the  Indians  began  on 
July  15,  1790.  "The  General  commenced 
his  preparations,  calculations  of  provisions, 
horses,  stores,  etc.,  which  were  immediately 
made  out  and  ordered  accordingly.  Every 
day  employed  in  the  most  industrious  man- 

1  Diary  of  Major  Thomas  Denny,  of  that  date. 
30 


ner  Captain  Ferguson,  with  his  Company, 
engaged  in  getting  in  complete  order  the  ar 
tillery  and  military  stores."1  These  prepara 
tions  were  continued  until  September  30, 
1 790,  when  "  the  General,  having  got  forward 
the  supplies,  moved  on  with  the  Federal 
Troops  formed  into  2  small  Battalions  un 
der  the  immediate  command  of  Majors 
Wyllys  and  Doughty,  together  with  Capt. 
Ferguson's  Company  of  Artillery,  who  took 
along  three  light  brass  pieces." l  The  militia 
had  moved  ahead  on  the  26th,  under  Lieut- 
Col.  Tribley  and  Major  Paul.  After  a  fatigu 
ing  march  the  enemy  was  encountered  at  the 
junction  of  the  St.  Mary  and  St.  Joseph 
rivers,  where  Fort  Wayne,  Indiana,  now 
stands.  Here  a  fierce  battle  took  place, 
which  resulted  in  what  has  been  wrongly 
called  "  Harmar's  defeat."  For  the  object  of 
the  expedition  was  attained;  many  Indian 
towns  and  supplies  were  wholly  destroyed. 
But  the  success  of  the  engagement  was  im 
paired  by  the  miserable  condition  of  the 
militia  and  their  unseemly  jealousy  of  the 
regular  troops.  A  Court  of  Inquiry  was  or 
dered  subsequently,  by  which  General  Har- 
mar  was  honorably  acquitted.  Ferguson  was 

'Diary  of  Major  Thomas  Denny,  of  that  date. 
31 


one  of  the  witnesses,  and  testified  that  the 
Kentucky  militia  "were  almost  destitute  of 
camp  kettles  and  axes ;  nor  could  a  supply  of 
these  useful  articles  be  procured.  Their  arms 
were  generally  very  bad  and  unfit  for  serv 
ice."  "  They  came  under  my  inspection,"  he 
continued,  "  in  making  repairs ;  as  a  speci 
men,  one  rifle  was  brought  to  be  repaired 
without  a  lock,  and  another  without  a  stock. 
.  .  .  Among  the  militia  were  a  great  many 
hardly  able  to  bear  arms,  such  as  old  infirm 
men,  and  young  boys.  They  were  not  such 
as  might  be  expected  from  a  frontier  country 
— smart,  active  woodmen,  well  accustomed 
to  arms,  and  alert  to  revenge  the  injury  done 
them  and  their  connections.  Now  there  were 
a  great  many  of  the  substitutes  who  had 
never  fired  a  gun.  Major  Hall,  of  Pennsyl 
vania,  told  me  that  many  of  his  men  were  so 
awkward  that  they  could  not  take  their  gun 
locks  off  to  oil  them  and  put  them  on  again, 
nor  could  they  put  in  their  flints  so  as  to  be 
useful."1 

At  the  point  where  Harmar  was  defeated, 
Ferguson  was  immediately  employed  by  Gen 
eral  St.  Clair,  in  organizing  a  military  post 
connected  by  intermediate  stations  with  Fort 

1  Howe,  "  Historical  Collections  of  Ohio,"  Vol.  II,  p.  435. 

32 


Washington.  At  the  close  of  April,  1791,  St. 
Clair  was  at  Pittsburg,  to  which  point  troops 
and  supplies  were  being  forwarded.  On  May 
1 5th  he  reached  Fort  Washington.  Accord 
ing  to  Harmar,  Ferguson  did  not  accompany 
St.  Clair  on  the  march  to  Fort  Washington, 
but  awaited  him  there.  In  his  own  narrative, 
however,  St.  Clair  says  that  on  June  20,  1791, 
Ferguson  came  with  a  quantity  of  military 
stores.  "  It  was  then  known  that  nearly  the 
whole  ammunition  for  the  campaign  was  to 
be  made  up,  and  a  laboratory  had  now  to  be 
prepared ;  and  one  convenient  for  making 
musket  cartridges  in  was  soon  got  in  order, 
but  there  was  no  place  to  fill  the  shells  in 
but  one  of  the  blockhouses,  which  was  occu 
pied  as  a  storehouse,  where  also  all  the  artil 
lery  cartridges  had  to  be  filled,  as  well  as  the 
shells  for  the  howitzers :  for  loose  cartridge 
could  not  be  trusted  in  the  barracks  room, 
with  fires  on  all  sides  of  it,  and  it  was  much 
hampered  and  far  from  a  safe  situation. 
Any  person  acquainted  with  the  fixing  of 
ammunition  knows  that  it  is  very  tedious  as 
well  as  very  laborious  business ;  and  that  in 
places  where  there  is  no  want  of  room,  or 
other  conveniences,  accidents  very  frequently 
happen,  and  the  laboratory  blows  up.  But  it 

33 


was  not  ammunition  for  the  campaign  only 
that  we  wanted,  but  a  stock  likewise  for  the 
projected  post  at  the  Miami,  which  was  to  be 
garrisoned  by  twelve  or  fourteen  hundred 
men  for  the  winter  at  least ;  and  for  the  in 
termediate  posts.  It  was  discovered  also  that 
the  carriages  of  the  guns  that  came  from 
Philadelphia  were  unfit  for  service,  and  that 
those  pieces  must  be  new  mounted.  This  oc 
casioned  more  labour,  and  of  course  a  greater 
number  of  workmen,  for  not  only  shops  to 
work  in  was  to  be  built,  but  tools  to  work 
with  to  be  made.  An  armoury  likewise  was 
to  be  constructed  for  the  repairing  of  the  arms 
and  it  would  have  been  altogether  impossible 
to  have  got  forward  at  all  had  there  not  been 
a  considerable  number  of  artificers  among 
the  troops  which  arrived  with  Major  Gaither. 
Heavy  draughts  had  of  course  to  be  made  for 
them,  which  was  submitted  to  with  some  re- 
luctancy,  and  that  is  not  to  be  wondered 
at.  The  Officer  dislikes  to  have  his  men  taken 
away  from  him,  and  it  is  but  too  often  the 
case ;  that  dislike  to  labour  is  the  principal  in 
ducement  of  men's  listing  as  soldiers,  which, 
when  there  is  occasion  to  employ  them  as 
artificers,  always  occasions  discontent.  The 
arms  of  the  detachment  were  in  bad  order 

34 


also,  and  had  nearly  all  to  be  repaired,  and  so 
fast  did  the  work  of  that  kind  increase  upon 
our  hands  that  at  one  time  it  appeared  it 
would  never  be  got  through,  nor,  indeed, 
would  it,  but  for  the  indefatigable  industry  of 
Major  Ferguson,  who  undertook  to  superin 
tend  the  artificers,  as  well  as  the  Laboratory."1 
Further  details  of  the  imperfect  condition 
of  the  supplies  are  given  in  a  letter  written 
from  Fort  Washington  by  Major  Ferguson  to 
General  St.  Clair,  and  dated  June  25,  1791, 
in  which  it  is  said  :  "  In  the  enclosed  return 
of  military  stores,  powder,  lead,  paper  and 
thread  are  wanted  to  complete  three  thousand 
men  with  one  hundred  and  thirty  rounds 
each.  Should  more  be  required,  these  articles 
will  have  to  be  augmented.  I  beg  leave  to 
report  that  the  casks  in  which  the  Powder 
was  last  sent  were  very  light,  and  not  prop 
erly  secured  ;  also  the  musket-cartridge  paper 
was  not  of  proper  sort,  being  too  easily  torn, 
and  of  course  the  cartridges  made  of  it  will 
not  bear  much  carriage."2  Another  obstacle 
in  preparing  for  the  campaign  was  the  incom- 
petency  and  culpable  neglect  of  duty  shown 


,  "  Historical  Collections  of  Ohio,"  Vol.  II,  p.  435. 
2  St.   Clair  Papers.    Compiled    by  William  Henry  Smith. 
Vol.  II. 

35 


. 
. 

... 


by  Quartermaster  Hodgdon.  Harmar  testi 
fied  in  the  Court  of  Inquiry  that  "  Major  Fer 
guson  complained  most  bitterly  "  of  him;  and 
Major  Zeigler  in  his  testimony  said  that  the 
pack-saddles  were  too  large,  and  that  Major 
Ferguson  was  extremely  uneasy  on  this  ac 
count,  as  indeed  were  all  the  officers  who  saw 
them.  The  lack  of  implements  for  building 
fortifications  was  severely  felt:  often  there 
was  only  one  axe  to  three  men,  and  two 
looked  on  while  the  third  used  it.  Colonel 
Winthrop  Sargeant  in  his  diary1  also  re 
marks  :  "  Major  Ferguson  has  very  frequently 
represented  to  me  that  the  military  stores  and 
arms  were  sent  on  in  a  most  infamous  man 
ner."  It  would  seem  that  the  entire  burden 
in  this  campaign  was  laid  upon  Ferguson — 
of  rectifying  the  mistakes  of  others,  and  of 
bringing  to  some  sort  of  efficiency  men  and 
tools  quite  unadapted  to  the  severe  service 
required  of  them.  Colonel  Sargeant  adds : 
"  Without  him  the  expedition  would  probably 
have  failed  in  ignominy,  even  before  the  In 
dians  were  reached." 

After  an  arduous  march  through  the  wil 
derness,  General  St.  Clair  with  his  command 
arrived  at  the  Wabash  River  on  November  3, 

1  Printed  privately  by  his  grandson.     Wormsloe,  June  20,  1851. 

36 


I791-  Major  Ebenezer  Denny  in  his  diary 
gives  some  details  of  the  expedition.  The 
march  began  at  nine  o'clock  in  the  morning. 
At  about  noon  the  small  army  passed  over 
dry  ground,  descended  gradually  to  a  small 
creek  "  supposed  to  be  a  branch  of  the  waters 
emptying  into  Lake  Erie."  Two  miles  further, 
they  encamped  "  on  dry,  pleasant  ground  "  on 
the  bank  of  "  a  creek  about  twenty  yards  wide, 
said  to  be  the  Pickawayfork  of  the  Omie." 
The  distance  marched  was  nine  miles :  and 
"  fresh  signs  of  savages  "  appeared  in  different 
places.  Scouting  parties  were  sent  out,  but 
did  not  find  the  enemy.  Upon  going  into 
camp,  the  men  were  much  fatigued,  so  that 
no  measures  for  defense  were  ordered  by  the 
General.  A  plan  of  attack  was  arranged,  how 
ever,  by  the  latter  in  consultation  with  "  Major 
Ferguson,  commanding  officer  of  artillery." 
The  space  on  the  dry  ground  was  rather  lim 
ited  and  the  men  in  camp  were  crowded. 
Parallel  with  the  front  line  ran  the  creek. 
"  The  militia  advanced  across  the  creek  about 
three  hundred  yards."  The  rest  of  the  army 
soon  followed  under  Major  Denny's  direction 
and  at  dusk  they  went  into  camp.  Contrary 
to  the  plan  made  by  the  commanding  officers, 
the  Indians  with  an  overwhelming  force  took 

37 


the  offensive.     The  following  graphic  account 
of  the  engagement  is  given  by  Major  Denny : 

"  November  4th  .  .  .  The  frequent  firing  of 
the  Sentinels  through  the  night  had  disturbed 
the  camp,  and  excited  some  concern  among  the 
officers.  The  guards  had  reported  the  Indians 
to  be  skulking  about  in  considerable  numbers. 
About  ten  o'clock  at  night  General  Butler 
who  commanded  the  right  wing  was  desired 
to  send  out  an  intelligent  officer  and  party  to 
make  discoveries.  Captain  Slough  with  two 
Subalterns  and  thirty  men  I  saw  paraded  at 
General  Butler's  tent  for  this  purpose,  and  I 
heard  the  General  give  Captain  Slough  very 
particular  verbal  orders  how  to  proceed.  My 
self  and  two  or  three  officers  staid  with  the 
General  until  late,  when  I  returned  to  the 
Commander-in-chief  whose  tent  was  at  some 
distance  on  the  left,  and  who  was  unable  to  be 
up.  The  troops  paraded  this  morning  at  the 
usual  time,  and  had  been  dismissed  from  the 
line  for  a  few  minutes,  when  the  woods  in 
front  rung  with  the  yells  and  fire  of  the  sav 
ages.  The  poor  militia  who  were  but  three 
hundred  yards  in  front,  had  scarcely  time  to 
return  a  shot — they  fled  into  our  camp.  The 
troops  were  under  arms  in  an  instant,  and  a 

38 


smart  fire  from  the  front  line  met  the  enemy- 
It  was  but  a  few  minutes,  however,  until  the 
men  were  engaged  in  every  quarter.  The 
enemy  from  the  front  filed  off  to  the  left  and 
right,  and  completely  surrounded  the  camp, 
killed  and  cut  off  nearly  all  the  guards,  and 
approached  close  to  the  lines.  They  advanced 
from  one  tree,  log  or  stump  to  another,  under 
cover  of  the  smoke  of  our  fire.  The  artillery 
and  musketry  made  a  tremendous  noise  but 
did  little  execution. 

"The  Indians  seemed  to  brave  everything, 
and  when  fairly  fixed  around  us,  they  made 
no  noise  other  than  their  fire  which  they  kept 
up  very  constant,  and  which  seldom  failed  to 
tell,  although  scarcely  heard.  Our  left  flank, 
probably  from  the  nature  of  the  ground,  gave 
way  first,  the  enemy  got  possession  of  that 
part  of  the  encampment,  but  it  being  pretty 
clear  ground,  they  were  too  much  exposed, 
and  were  soon  repulsed.  I  was  at  this  time 
with  the  General  engaged  towards  the  right ; 
he  was  on  foot,  and  led  the  party  himself  that 
drove  the  enemy  out,  and  regained  our  ground 
on  the  left.  The  battalions  in  the  rear  charged 
several  times,  and  forced  the  savages  from 
their  shelter,  but  they  always  turned  with  the 
Battalions  and  fired  upon  their  back ;  indeed 

39 


they  seemed  not  to  fear  anything  we  could 
do.1  "When  the  Indians  began  a  pursuit 
of  the  flying  militia,  Major  Ferguson  opened 
an  artillery  fire  upon  the  former,  which  put 
them  to  great  confusion,  but  they  were  soon 
rallied  by  a  leader  on  horseback  who  wore 
a  red  coat  and  was  undoubtedly  a  British 
officer." 2 

The  fire  seems  to  have  been  directed 
chiefly  against  the  centre  of  the  American 
troops,  where  the  artillery  was  stationed. 
Attempts  were  made  to  drive  back  the  In 
dians  with  the  bayonet,  but  the  latter  "  would 
skip  out  of  reach  of  the  Bayonet,  and  return 
as  they  pleased.  They  were  visible  only  when 
raised  by  a  charge."3  The  slaughter  on  both 
sides  was  great,  for  the  ground  was  "  literally 
covered  with  the  dead."  "  At  one  time  Colonel 
Darke  was  ordered  to  make  a  charge  with  a 
part  of  the  second  line ;  and  the  movement 
was  executed  with  great  spirit.  The  Indians 
at  once  gave  way,  but  for  want  of  sufficient 
riflemen  to  preserve  the  advantage  gained, 

1  Major  Ebenezer  Denny's  Diary.     Published  by  J.  B.  Lip- 
pincott  &  Co.,  Philadelphia,  1860. 

2  Testimony  of  Colonel  Semble  on  the  Inquiry  ordered  by 
General  Washington.      See  Smith's  Letters   in   the  St.  Clair 
Papers. 

8  The  quotations  which  follow,  unless  otherwise  indicated, 
are  from  Major  Denny's  Diary. 

40 


the  enemy  soon  renewed  their  attacks,  and 
the  Americans  in  turn  were  forced  to  give 
way."  The  wounded  were  taken  to  the  cen 
tre,  where  it  was  thought  safe,  and  where  a 
great  many  demoralized  men  had  sought 
shelter.  Repeated  charges  by  the  Americans 
were  attended  with  great  success,  but  upon 
each  occasion  there  were  heavy  losses  of  men 
and  officers.  Of  the  second  regiment,  Major 
Butler,  who  had  shown  great  gallantry,  was 
dangerously  wounded,  and  every  other  regi 
mental  officer  fell  except  three.  Indeed  it 
seemed  as  if  the  officers  had  been  singled  out 
by  the  enemy,  so  great  was  the  slaughter 
among  them.  General  Butler  and  some  of 
his  most  experienced  subordinates  were 
among  the  number.  The  men  were  left  with 
few  officers,  "  became  fearful,  despaired  of  suc 
cess,  gave  up  the  fight,  and  to  save  themselves 
for  the  moment,  abandoned  entirely  their  duty 
and  ground,  and  crowded  in  toward  the  cen 
tre  of  the  field,  and  no  exertions  could  put 
them  in  any  order  even  for  Defence."  The 
American  artillery  was  at  length  captured  by 
the  enemy,  "  though  not  until  the  Officers 
were  all  killed  but  one,  and  he  badly  wounded, 
and  the  Men  almost  all  cut  off,  and  not  until 
the  pieces  were  spiked.  As  our  lines  were 


deserted  the  Indians  contracted  theirs   until 
their  shot  centred  from  all  points,  and  now 
meeting  with  little  opposition,  took  more  de 
liberate  aim  and   did  more  execution."     As 
the  artillery  had  been  silenced,  and  as  the 
troops  were  now  exposed  to  destructive  cross 
fire,  a  retreat  became  absolutely  necessary.    It 
was  hoped  that  the  Indians  might  momentarily 
be  diverted  by  the  spoils  of  the  camp,  and 
might  not  press  their  advantage.     The  fight 
had   been   going  on   for  three    hours,  when 
orders  were  given  to  make  a  feint  upon  the 
right  flank  of  the  enemy.     By  this  means  the 
force  was  enabled  to  gain  the  road.     "  A  few 
officers  put  themselves  in  front,  the  men  fol 
lowed,  the  Enemy  gave  way,  and  perhaps  not 
being  aware  of  the  design,  we  were  for  a  few 
minutes  left   undisturbed/'     The  militia  led 
the  way,  followed  by  the  United  States  troops. 
The  rear  was  covered  by  Major  Clark  with  his 
battalion.     The  camp  was,  of  course,  aban 
doned,  and  as  the  horses  had  been  killed,  the 
artillery  was  left  upon  the  field.     As  they  re 
treated,  the  men  threw  away  their  arms  and 
accoutrements,   even    after    the    enemy   had 
given  up  the  chase.     The  road  was  covered 
with  discarded  equipment.     At  the  moment 
of  the  Retreat,  one  of  the  few  horses  was  given 

42 


to  the  General,  who  until  then  was  on  foot. 
Major  Denny  says :  "  I  kept  by  him,  and  he  de 
layed,  to  see  the  rear.  The  enemy  soon  dis 
covered  the  movement,  and  pursued,  though 
not  more  than  four  or  five  miles,  and  but  few 
so  far,  they  turned  to  share  the  spoil.  Soon 
after  the  firing  ceased  I  was  directed  to  en 
deavour  to  gain  the  front,  and  if  possible,  to 
cause  a  short  halt  that  the  rear  might  get  up." 
Howe,  speaking  of  this  retreat,  says :  "  All  the 
horses  of  the  General  were  killed  and  he  was 
mounted  on  a  broken-down  pack-horse  that 
could  scarcely  be  forced  out  of  a  walk.  It  was 
therefore  impossible  for  him  to  get  forward 
in  person,  to  command  a  halt,  till  regularity 
could  be  restored,  and  the  orders  which  he 
dispatched  by  others  for  that  purpose  were 
wholly  unattended  to.  The  rout  continued  to 
Fort  Jefferson,  where  they  arrived  after  dark, 
twenty-seven  miles  from  the  battle-ground. 
The  retreat  began  at  half-past  nine  in  the 
morning,  and  as  the  battle  commenced  half 
an  hour  before  sunrise,  it  must  have  lasted 
three  hours,  during  which  time,  with  only  one 
exception,  the  troops  behaved  with  great 
bravery.  This  fact  accounts  for  the  immense 
slaughter  which  took  place."1  Major  Denny 

1  Howe,  "  Historical  Collections,"  Vol.  II,  p.  485  f. 
43 


was  on  horseback  from  the  first  alarm,  and 
was  well  mounted.  Hoping  to  restore  order, 
he  pushed  forward,  but  met  with  so  many  diffi 
culties  and  interruptions  that  he  was  two  hours 
trying  to  reach  the  front.  The  journey  to  Fort 
Jefferson  was  made  slowly  and  painfully. 
"  With  the  assistance  of  two  or  three  officers," 
continues  Major  Denny,  "  I  caused  a  short 
halt,  but  the  men  grew  impatient  and  would 
move  on.  I  got  Lieutenant  Sedam  and  Mor 
gan,  with  half  a  dozen  stout  men,  to  fill  up  the 
road  and  to  move  slowly.  I  halted  myself 
until  the  General  came  up.  By  this  time  the 
remains  of  the  army  had  got  somewhat  com 
pact,  but  in  the  most  miserable  and  defence 
less  state.  The  wounded  who  came  off  left 
their  arms  in  the  field,  and  one  half  of  the 
others  threw  theirs  away  on  their  retreat. 
The  road  for  miles  was  covered  with  firelocks, 
cartridge  boxes  and  regimentals.  How  for 
tunate  that  the  pursuit  was  discontinued  !  A 
single  Indian  might  have  followed  with  safety 
upon  either  flank.  Such  a  panic  had  seized 
the  men,  that  I  believe  it  would  not  have  been 
possible  to  have  brought  any  of  them  to  en 
gage  again." 

Ferguson  was  probably  killed  in  one  of 
the  fierce  fights  when  the  enemy  tried  to  take 

44 


possession  of  the  artillery.  The  fieldpieces 
which  he  brought  into  action  were  captured 
and  recaptured  three  times,  and  were  not 
abandoned  until  every  artillery  officer  but 
one  had  been  killed,  and  that  one  desperately 
wounded.  In  his  official  letter  General  St. 
Clair  says :  "  The  loss  which  the  public  has 
sustained  by  the  fate  of  so  many  officers,  par 
ticularly  General  Butler  and  Major  Ferguson, 
cannot  be  too  much  regretted,  but  it  is  a  cir 
cumstance  that  will  alleviate  the  misfortune 
in  some  measure,  that  all  of  these  fell  most 
gallantly  doing  their  duty." 

The  only  fault  which  the  General  found 
with  his  army  was  its  want  of  discipline, 
but  this  was  owing  to  the  short  time  that 
they  had  been  in  service.  The  officers  in 
many  cases  were  killed  while  attempting 
to  restore  order  in  the  demoralized  ranks. 
The  United  States  forces  were  greatly  out 
numbered  by  the  Indians,  and  the  General 
was  himself  suffering  from  disease  and  fatigue. 

On  the  afternoon  of  the  same  day  that  the 
fight  occurred,  Lieutenant  Kersey  with  a  de 
tachment  of  the  First  Regiment  met  the  rest 
of  the  army.  They  heard  the  sound  of  the 
firing  when  thirty  miles  from  the  scene  of  the 
battlo,  and  soon  learned  from  some  of  the 

45 


militia  that  the  army  had  been  defeated. 
Major  Hamtranck,  the  commanding  officer, 
thought  it  best  that  the  regiment  should  re 
tire  to  Fort  Jefferson,  "  to  secure  at  all  events 
that  post."  Here  they  were  found  by  the 
fugitives  from  the  battle.  General  St.  Clair 
seems  to  have  thought  it  fortunate  that  the 
First  Regiment  was  not  present  during  the 
engagement.  The  result  would  probably  have 
been  the  same,  but  the  loss  of  life  in  the 
United  States  army  would  have  been  greater. 
The  battle  was  celebrated  in  verse  by  an 
artilleryman  in  Major  Ferguson's  command : 

We  charged  again  with  courage  firm 
But  soon  again  gave  ground  ; 
The  war-hoop  redoubled 
As  did  the  foes  around ; 
They  killed  Major  Ferguson, 
Which  caused  his  men  to  cry : 
"  Our  only  safety  is  in  flight 
Or  fighting  here  to  die." 

A  few  weeks  after  the  battle,  search  was 
made  for  the  lost  cannon,  but  without  success. 
In  1830,  a  brass  fieldpiece  was  found  buried 
which  doubtless  belonged  to  Major  Ferguson's 
battery.  For  this  was  the  spot  from  which  the 
Indians  were  three  times  driven  at  the  point 
of  the  bayonet  to  the  high  ground  in  the  rear ; 

46 


and  it  was  probably  at  this  spot  that  Ferguson 
met  his  death  while  gallantly  serving  his  guns. 
Some  years  after  the  battle,  Ferguson's  watch, 
silver  cup  and  pocket  Bible  were  found  in  the 
possession  of  a  British  officer  of  Detroit,  who 
had  received  them  from  an  Indian.  When 
applied  to  by  the  family  for  the  return  of  these 
mementoes,  the  officer  surrendered  the  cup 
and  Bible,  but  it  is  reported  that  he  said  he 
had  use  for  the  watch.  The  Bible  and  cup 
are  in  possession  of  the  writer. 

Beyond  his  military  record  but  little  is 
known  of  Major  Ferguson's  life.  His  entire 
energy  seems  to  have  been  given  to  his  pro 
fession.  But  on  January  21,  1791,  he  was 
elected  a  member  of  the  American  Philosoph 
ical  Society,  at  the  same  time  with  Alexander 
Hamilton,  Secretary  of  the  Treasury,  and 
Edmund  Randolph,  Attorney-General  of  the 
United  States.  Two  years  previous  to  this, 
he  had  presented  to  the  Society  "  a  collection 
of  curious  petrifications  and  other  fossils  found 
in  different  parts  of  the  western  countries." 
Benjamin  Franklin  presided  at  the  meeting 
when  the  presentation  was  made. 

Colonel  Winthrop  Sergeant  in  his  diary 
pays  the  following  tribute  to  Ferguson's  char 
acter  :  "  Major  Ferguson  (whose  department 

47 


though  in  all  services  the  most  arduous  and 
attended  with  many  perils  as  any  in  the  army, 
does  not  afford  a  very  ample  field  for  the  bril 
liant  display  of  military  merit)  was  a  most 
cool,  determined,  indefatigable  and  gallant 
man,  and  united  all  those  requisites  which  are 
so  seldom  to  be  met  with,  but  which  are  an 
absolute  essential  in  the  artillery  officer  who 
aspires  to  the  head  of  that  scientific  profes 
sion." 

Major  Ferguson  left  but  one  child,  a  daugh 
ter  who  became  the  wife  of  President  Matthew 
Brown  of  Jefferson  College,  Pa.  They  in  turn 
had  but  one  daughter,  Susan  Mary,  who  mar 
ried  the  late  Henry  M.  Alexander  of  New 
York.  Through  this  marriage  there  are 
numerous  descendants  of  William  Ferguson. 


48 


APPENDIX   A 

Resolution  passed  by  Committee  of  Safety,  Qth  January, 
1776  :  "Resolved,  That  Capt.  Proctor  immediately  go  to  Fort 
Island,  and  take  under  his  Command  the  Artillery  Company 
station'd  there." 

(Minutes  of  the  Provincial  Council  of  Pennsylvania,  Vol. 
X,  p.  452.)  

Resolution  passed  by  Committee  of  Safety,  25th  Jan'y,  1776  : 
"  The  Committee  of  Safety  having  resolved  to  increase  the 
Number  of  Men  in  the  pay  of,  and  for  the  defence  of  this 
Province,  Captain  Proctor  is  hereby  directed  to  enlist  seventy 
Volunteers,  who  are  to  be  instructed  principally  in  the  use  and 
management  of  Artillery,  but  to  be  embodied  in  such  manner, 
and  employed  occasionally  upon  such  service  as  may  hereafter 
be  determined  by  the  said  Committee." 

(Minutes  of  the  Provincial  Council  of  Pennsylvania,  Vol. 
X,  p.  467.)  

From  the  Minutes  of  the  Council  of  Safety,  under  date  of 
26th  Jan'y,  1776  : 

"  The  following  is  the  form  of  an  Enlistment  to  be  signed 
by  the  Voluntiers  to  be  enlisted  by  Capt.  Proctor,  Vizt: 

'*  We  whose  names  are  hereunto  subscribed,  do  voluntarily 
agree  to  enter  into  the  Service  of  the  Province  of  Pennsylvania, 
to  be  instructed  in  the  use  and  management  of  Artillery,  Com 
manded  by  such  officers  as  now  are  or  may  be  hereafter  ap 
pointed  by  the  Assembly  of  this  Province,  or  Committee  of 
Safety,  and  to  be  occasionally  employed  in  such  Military  Duty 
and  Service  in  this  or  the  Adjacent  Provinces,  or  the  River 
Delaware,  as  the  defence  of  this  Province  may  hereafter  re- 

49 


quire,  and  for  which  they  shall  receive  the  orders  of  either  of 
the  above  Boards." 

(Minutes  of  the  Provincial  Council  of  Pennsylvania,  Vol. 
X,  p.  468.)  

Resolutions  passed  by  the  Committee  of  Safety,  24th 
Febr'y,  1776  : 

"  Resolved,  That  Capt.  Proctor  make  use  of  Seven  Rooms 
in  the  Pest  House,  on  Province  Island,  for  quartering  part 
of  the  Artillery  Company. 

"That  there  be  Six  18  pound  Gun  Carriages  made  for  the 
use  of  the  Battery  at  Fort  Island,  and  that  Mr.  Nevil  be  em 
ployed  in  making  one  of  the  said  Carriages,  and  furnish  this 
Board  with  an  account  of  the  same. 

"  That  Captain  Proctor  have  the  use  of  as  many  Firelocks 
as  he  may  have  occasion  for,  and  a  6  pound  Cannon  to  exer 
cise  the  Men  under  his  Command,  and  that  Robert  Towers  be 
directed  to  deliver  the  same. 

"  That  Commodore  Caldwell  &  Capt.  Proctor  fix  upon 
proper  Signals  for  the  Fleet,  Merchantmen  &  Battery,  and 
that  the  same  be  communicated  to  the  Pilots  employed  in 
Navigating  Vessels  through  the  Chevaux  de  Frize. 

"  That  Capt.  Proctor  procure  a  Flagg  Staff  for  the  Fort, 
with  a  Flagg  of  the  United  Colonies. 

"  That  Robert  Towers  put  up  50  Rounds  of  Cartridge,  with 
different  kinds  of  Shot,  for  each  of  the  six  18  pound  cannon  on 
the  Battery  at  Fort  Island. 

"  That  Mr.  Owen  Biddle  &  Capt.  Whyte  order  a  Smith's 
Shop  and  Forge  to  be  erected  on  Fort  Island,  and  to  furnish 
the  same  with  proper  Smith's  tools. 

"  That  the  said  Committee  see  that  the  necessaries  wanting 
at  Fort  Island  for  the  use  of  the  Battery,  and  for  Capt.  Proctor's 
Company,  not  mention'd  in  the  above  Resolves,  be  supplied. 

"  Resolved,  That  Jeremiah  Simmons,  now  a  Lieut,  on  board 
one  of  the  armed  Boats  be  appointed  ist  Lieutenant  in  Capt. 
Proctor's  Company  of  Artillery." 

(Minutes  of  the  Provincial  Council  of  Pennsylvania^  Vol. 
X,  p.  494.) 

50 


Extract  from  the  Minutes  of  the  Committee  of  Safety, 
under  date  of  Monday,  6th  May,  1777  : 

"  Orders  were  this  day  sent  to  the  Commanding  officer  of 
the  Fleet  &  Artillery  Company  at  Fort  Island,  to  call  every 
Boat  &  Soldiers  to  their  stations,  &  each  to  prepare  for  imme 
diate  action,  and  to  suffer  no  Officer  or  Man  to  leave  their 
station  without  the  License  of  this  Board,  or  the  Commanding 
officer." 

"  Resolved,  That  Colo.  Nixon  &  Capt.  Whyte  be  desired 
immediately  to  go  to  Fort  Island,  and  give  every  necessary 
advice  to  assist  the  Officers  carrying  the  above  orders  into 
execution. 

"  The  Officers  &  Men  of  the  Armed  Boats  now  in  Town, 
except  Capt.  Boy's,  were  this  day  directed  to  go  immediately 
to  their  stations  at  Fort  Island." 

(Minutes  of  the  Council  of  Pennsylvania,  Vol.  X,  p.  557.) 


Resolution  passed  by  the  Committee  of  Safety,  under  date 
of  7th  May,  1776  : 

"Resolved,  That  the  following  recommendation  be  made 
public  at  the  Coffee  House  of  this  City  : 

"'In  Committee  of  Safety,  May  7,  1776. 

" '  There  being  a  very  pressing  necessity  for  a  large  Quan 
tity  of  Lead  for  the  public  use,  in  the  Defence  now  formed  for 
the  security  of  the  Liberties  of  this  Country,  it  is  most  ear 
nestly  recommended  to  all  the  Inhabitants  of  the  City  and 
Liberties  of  Philadelphia,  to  send  in  to  Robert  Towers,  Com 
missary  for  this  purpose,  all  such  Lead  as  they  may  have  in 
use  in  their  Families  and  about  their  Houses,  such  as  draught 
weights,  window  weights  &  Clock  Weights,  and  it  is  hoped  that 
this  requisition  will  be  cheerfully  complied  with,  when  every 
individual  considers  that  he  thereby  does  Essential  service  to 
his  Country,  and  that  Iron  weights  may  be  procured  to  supply 
his  private  convenience.  The  Liberal  Price  of  six  pence  per 
pound  will  be  allowed.'  " 

(Minutes  of  the  Provincial  Council  of  Pennsylvania,  Vol.  X, 
P.  558.) 

51 


Resolution  passed  by  the  Council  of  Safety,  October  5, 1776  : 
"  Resolved,  That  the  two  Companies  of  Artillery,  under  the 
Command  of  Major  Thomas  Proctor,  be  officered  with  One 
Captain  &  three  Lieutenants  for  the  present ;  &  that  the  fol 
lowing  Gentlemen  be  and  are  hereby  appointed  officers  in  said 
Companies,  vizt.  : 

First  Company. 

John  Martin  Strohbogh,  Captain. 
Worsley  Ernes,  First  Lieutenant. 
Charles  Turnbull,  Second  Lieutenant. 
William  Ferguson,  Third  Lieutenant. 

Second  Company. 
Thomas  Forrest,  Captain. 
Hercules  Courtney,  First  Lieutenant. 
Francis  Proctor,  Second  Lieutenant. 
Patrick  Duffy,  Third  Lieutenant. 

(Minutes  of  the  Provincial  Council  of  Pennsylvania,  Vol. 
X,  p.  742.) 


Resolution   passed   by   the    Council    of    Safety,    October 

5,  1776: 

"Resolved,  That  a  Detachment  be  made  from  the  Artillery 
Companies  of  the  State,  of  fifty  men,  to  be  sent  to  Fort  Mont 
gomery,  under  the  command  of  Captain  Strohbogh,  Subject  to 
the  direction  of  the  Commander-in-Chief,  and  that  two  of  the 
Commissioned  Officers  in  his  Company,  and  Lieutenant  Proc 
tor,  of  Captain  Forrest's  Coinp'y,  proceed  with  the  said  De 
tachment  (that  they  may  have  an  opportunity  of  seeing 
Service),  to  be  relieved  at  such  time  as  the  board  may  think 
proper,  and  that  they  shall  march  as  soon  as  they  are  furnished 
with  necessary  Camp  Equipage.  Major  Proctor  is  to  see  this 
resolve  carried  into  Execution." 

(Minutes  of  the  Provincial  Council  of  Pennsylvania,  Vol. 
x>  P-  743-) 

52 


APPENDIX    B 

COL.  J.  HARMAR  TO  PRES.  DICKINSON,  1785. 

FORT  MclNTOSH,  MAY  24™,  1785. 
Sir, 

I  was  honored  last  evening  with  your  letter  of  the  26th 
ult'o,  inclosing  me  the  late  resolution  of  Congress  respecting  a 
new  arrangement  of  the  Corps. 

Inclosed  be  pleased  to  receive  a  list  of  the  Officers  who  are 
willing  to  continue  upon  the  present  establishment.  If  two 
Captains  only  are  to  be  appointed,  I  would  beg  leave  to  recom 
mend  seniority. 

Lieut.  Herbert  has  been  suspended  in  his  command  the 
chief  part  of  the  time  the  Corps  was  raised,  and  in  my  opinion 
is  unworthy  of  command. 

The  reduction  of  the  Pay  of  the  Officers  appears  to  be 
rather  parsimonious.  What  the  views  of  Congress  may  be,  in 
abridging  the  pay,  the  Officers  know  not.  If  his  Excellency 
the  President  &  the  Honorable  Council  should  think  proper  to 
continue  me,  I  am  willing  to  remain  upon  the  present  arrange 
ment. 

Pay  &  Subsistence  (any  further  than  to  support  the  rank  & 
Dignity  of  an  Officer)  I  despise. 

I  have  the  honor  to  be,  Sir, 

Your  most  obedient  &  very  h'ble  Serv't, 

Jos.  HARMAR,  Lt.  Col.  Com. 
Directed, 

To  the  Honorable  John  Armstrong,  Esqr.,  Secretary  to 
Council,  Philadelphia. 

Hon'd  Lt.  DOYLE. 

Names  and  Rank  of  the  Officers  of  the  Pennsylvania  Line 
who  are  at  present  in  the  service  of  the  United  States  and  are 
willing  to  remain  upon  the  Establishment  agreeable  to  the  Act 
of  Congress  of  the  7th  of  April,  1785. 

53 


Names. 

Josiah  Harmar, 
Walter  Finney, 
David  Zeigler, 
William  McCurdy, 
Thomas  Douglass, 
Joseph  Ashton, 
Stewart  Herbert, 
Erkurius  Beatty, 
Thomas  Doyle, 
John  Armstrong, 
Ebenezer  Denny, 
Nathaniel  McDowell,  Ensign, 
John  McDowell,          Surgeon, 
Richard  Allison,  Mate, 

Jos.  HARMAR, 
FORT  MclNTOSH,  May  24th,  1785. 


Rank. 

Lieutenant  Colonel, 
Captain, 
Captain, 
Captain, 
Captain, 
Lieutenant, 
Lieutenant, 
Lieutenant, 
Lieutenant, 
Ensign, 
Ensign, 


Dates  of  appointment 
1 2th  August,  1784. 
1 2th  August,  1784. 
1 2th  August,  1784. 
1 2th  August,  1784. 
1 2th  August,  1784. 
1 2th  August,  1784. 
1 2th  August,  1784. 
1 2th  August,  1784. 
1 2th  August,  1784. 
1 2th  August,  1784. 
1 2th  August,  1784. 
2ist  October,  1784. 
1 2th  August,  1784. 
1 2th  August,  1784. 
L't  Col.  Com't. 


APPENDIX   C 

In  the  Minutes  of  the  Supreme  Executive  Council  of  Penn 
sylvania,  Vol.  XIV,  Colonial  Records,  p.  569,  there  appears 
the  following  under  date  of  October  20,  1785  : 

"  Council  met  this  day  and  proceeded  to  the  appointment 
of  a  Captain  of  Artillery  and  Ensign  of  Infantry  to  complete 
the  number  of  officers  required  of  this  State  in  forming  the 
Federal  Militia  Regiment  commanded  by  Colonel  Josiah 
Harmar  when 

"  Ferguson,  Esquire,  was  appointed  Captain  of  Artillery 
and  Edward  Speare,  Esquire,  Ensign,  of  Infantry." 

This  action  was  reported  to  the  Secretary  of  War  by  the 
following  communication  : 

SECRETARY  ARMSTRONG  TO  SECRETARY  OF  WAR,  1785. 
Sir, 

I  have  the  honor  to  inform  you  that  from  the  Resolutions 
of  Council  of  the  8th  of  September  &  2oth  of  October,  1785,  it 

54 


appears  that  the  following  gentlemen  were  appointed  to  com 
mand  the  quota  of  Troops,  required  from  this  State  in  forming 
the  Regiment  of  Federal  Militia,  agreeably  to  an  Ordinance  of 
Congress  &  a  Law  of  this  Commonwealth. 

Viz.  Josiah  Harmar,  Esq.,  Lt.  Col.  Commd't. 

Walter  Finney,  Captain. 
David  Zeigler,       " 
Wm.  McCurdy,      " 

Ercurius  Beatty,  Lieutenant  of  Infantry. 
Thomas  Doyle, 

John  Armstrong,          "  "         " 

Nathaniel  McDowell,  Ensign. 
Ebenezer  Denny, 
Edward  Spear,  " 

Ferguson,  Captain  of  Artillery. 
Joseph  Ashton,  Lieutenant    " 
John  McDowell,  Surgeon. 
Richard  Allison,  Surgeon's  Mate. 
I  am  Sir,  with  much  respect, 

Your  most  Obedient  Humble  servt., 

JOHN  ARMSTRONG,  JR.,  Sec'y. 
Philadelphia,  Secretary's  Office,  2oth  October,  1785. 

Directed, 

The  Honorable  Major  General  Knox,  Secretary  of  War. 


55 


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APPENDIX    D 

LT.  COL.  JOSIAH  HARMAR  TO  V.  P.  MUHLENBERG,  1788. 

FORT  HARMAR,  June  30,  1788. 
Sir, 

I  had  the  honor  to  address  Council  on  the  24th  April,  from 
Fort  Pitt  upon  the  subject  of  the  Treasurer  of  Pennsylvania's 
three  drafts  on  the  County  Treasurer  of  Westmoreland,  Wash 
ington  &  Fayette,  for  monies  for  the  recruiting  service,  &  to 
inform  your  honorable  body  that  there  was  a  likelihood  of  ob 
taining  nothing  but  the  paper  currency  for  them,  &  at  the  same 
time  praying  that  some  other  arrangements  might  speedily  be 
made  in  order  to  obtain  specie,  as  paper  would  not  answer  the 
purpose. 

Since  which  I  have  to  acknowledge  the  receipt  of  two 
Letters  from  the  hon'ble,  the  Vice  President  in  Council,  the 
one  dated  the  i8th  April,  the  other  the  i6th  May  last.  The 
former  enclosed  our  State  Commissions.  The  latter,  I  ob 
serve,  desires  that  the  final  determination  on  the  rank  of 
Ensigns  Denny  &  Spear  may  remain  suspended  until  I  have 
an  opportunity  to  lay  the  several  pretentions  before  the 
Board. 

Respecting  the  dispute  of  rank  between  these  Gentlemen, 
a  Board  of  officers  was  convened  a  twelvemonth  ago,  in  order 
to  determine  it,  I  did  not  chuse  to  give  my  opinion  at  that 
time  concerning  it,  but  referred  the  proceedings  to  the  Secre 
tary  of  War,  who  was  pleased  to  decide  in  favor  of  Ensign 
Spear ;  upon  this  principle,  that  Ensign  Denny  could  not  by 
virtue  of  his  one  year's  service  (which  was  considered  as 
militia  Rank,  from  the  Act  of  Congress  of  the  3d  June,  1784) 
take  rank  of  Ensign  Spear,  whose  rank  was  derived  from  Con 
tinental  service.  In  consequence  of  this  decision  of  the  Secre 
tary  of  War,  orders  have  long  since  been  issued  by  me  at  this 
post,  announcing  Ensign  Spear  as  the  Senior  officer. 

I  have  been  informed  that  Captain  Zeigler  is  contesting 
rank  with  Capt.  Ferguson.  The  same  principle  which  de- 

57 


cides  the  rank  of  Ensign  Denny  &  Ensign  Spear,  I  presume 
should  operate  in  the  case  of  Capt.  Ferguson  &  Capt.  Ziegler. 
The  Query  is  whether  the  one  year's  service  was  Militia  or 
Continental  rank  ?  If  Council  should  be  of  opinion  that  the 
one  year's  service  was  Militia  rank,  Capt.  Ferguson  is  un 
doubtedly  Senior  to  Capt.  Ziegler. 

As  the  right  of  finally  judging  upon  this  case  rests  with 
your  hono'ble  Body,  I  beg  leave  to  offer  the  following  obser 
vations. 

Captain  Ferguson  is  now  absent  at  Post  Vincennes,  and 
perhaps  has  not  in  council  one  friend  to  advocate  his  cause. 
He  is  an  officer  of  distinguished  &  superior  abilities  in  the 
Artillery  department.  The  consequence  will  be  that  if  Cap 
tain  Ziegler  obtain  Rank  of  him  he  will  instantly  resign, 
which  will  be  a  loss  not  only  to  the  State  of  Pennsylvania,  but 
to  the  States  in  General.  I  question  very  much  whether  an 
officer  of  equal  abilities  of  his  grade  &  in  his  line,  can  be  fur 
nished  by  any  State  in  the  Union. 

Doctor  John  McDowell  has  resigned  his  commission  on  the 
ist  instant.  The  surgeon's  mate,  Richard  Allison,  is  fully 
qualified,  I  believe,  to  succeed  him. 

There  will  be  a  vacancy  now  for  a  Surgeon's  mate  from  our 
State.  Doctor  Scott,  the  surgeon's  mate  of  the  Jersey  quota, 
begs  me  to  recommend  a  friend  of  his,  Mr.  John  F.  Carmichael 
(a  native  of  Pennsylvania).  I  have  no  knowledge  of  the  young 
Gentleman,  but  from  Dr.  Scott's  representation,  I  beg  leave  to 
recommend  him  to  fill  the  vacancy,  provided  the  hon'ble 
Council  thinks  it  proper,  and  has  no  other  person  in  view. 
I  have  the  honor  to  be,  Sir, 

With  the  highest  Esteem  &  respect, 

Your  most  h'ble  &  obt.  Serv't,  Jos  Harmar, 
Lt.  Col.  ist  U.  S.  Reg. 

Directed, 

The   honorable   P.   Muhlenberg,   Esq.,  Vice    President  in 

Council,  Pennsylvania. 

(Pennsylvania  Archives,  Old  Series,  Vol.  XI,  p.  325.) 
And  at  page  391  the  following  letter  from  Peter  Muhlen- 

58 


berg,  Vice  President  of  the  Council,  which  seems  to  be  the  last 
recorded  transaction  covering  the  matter. 

V.  P.    MUHLENBERG    TO    BRIG.  GEN.  JOSIAH    HARMAR,   1788. 

In  Council, 

Phila.,  Wednesday,  September  gth,  1788. 
Dear  General, 

Your  favor  of  the  3Oth  of  June  has  been  for  a  considerable 
time  under  consideration  of  the  Board,  but  owing  to  the  embar 
rassment  The  Executive  labor  under  by  the  depreciation  of  the 
paper  Curr'y,  we  found  that  to  comply  with  your  request,  rela 
tive  to  the  Money  allotted  for  the  recruiting  service,  it  was 
absolutely  necessary  we  should  lay  the  matter  before  the  House. 
This  has  been  done  &  the  result  I  shall  do  myself  the  Honor  to 
communicate  as  soon  as  the  House  determine. 

Agreeably  to  your  recommendation,  The  Board  have  ap 
pointed  R.  Allison  Surgeon  to  your  Reg't  &  J.  F.  Carmichael, 
Mate.  The  Board  seem  still  to  adhere  to  their  former  deter 
mination  relative  to  the  dispute  of  Rank  between  Ziegler,  Fer 
guson  &c.,  as  they  do  not  consider  the  Troops  rais'd  by  virtue 
of  the  resolution  of  Congress  of  the  3d  of  June,  1 784,  as  Militia. 
The  hurry  of  business  occasioned  by  the  meeting  of  the 
House  &c.,  prevents  me  from  saying  more  on  the  subject  at 
present.  I  shall  do  myself  the  Honor  to  write  you  fully  in  a 
few  days. 

I  have  the  honor  to  be 

with  great  Respect,  your  most 

obedient  and  very  humble  Servant, 
Peter  Muhlenberg, 

V.  President.1 
Honorable  Brigadier  General  Harmar. 

Extract  from  Henry  Howe's  "  Historical  Collections  of 
Ohio,"  1852,  which  is  taken  from  Burnet  Notes. 

Page  130.  The  loss  sustained  by  the  country  from  the  fall 
of  so  many  gallant  Officers  &  Men  was  most  seriously  regretted, 
General  Butler  and  Major  Ferguson  were  spoken  of  with  pecul- 
1  (Pennsylvania  Archives,  Old  Series,  Vol.  XT,  pp.  325-391.) 

59 


iar  interest.  The  public  feeling  was,  however,  in  some  measure 
alleviated  by  the  fact  that  these  brave  Men,  Officers  and 
Privates  fell  covered  with  honour  in  defending  the  cause  of 
their  country. 


APPENDIX    E 

List  of  the  Killed  and  Wounded  Officers  in  the  Army  of 
the  United  States,  commanded  by  General  Arthur  St.  Clair, 
November  4,  1791. 

ARTILLERY 

Killed.  Wounded. 

Major  Ferguson.  Captain  Ford. 

Captain  Bradford. 
Lieutenant  Spear. 

CAVALRY 

Wounded. 

Captain  Trueman. 
Captain  Debutst. 
Cornet  Bhines. 

FIRST   REGIMENT 

Wounded. 
Captain  Doyle. 

SECOND    REGIMENT 

Killed.  Wounded. 

Major  Heart.  Lieutenant  Graton. 

Captain  Phelon. 
Captain  Newman. 
Captain  Kirkwood. 
Lieutenant  Warren. 
Ensign  Balsh. 
Ensign  Cobb. 

60 


FIRST   REGIMENT   OF   LEVIES 

Killed.  Wounded. 

Captain  Vanswearinger.  Lieutenant  Colonel  Dark. 

Captain  Tibton.  Captain  Dark. 

Captain  Price.  Captain  Buchanan. 

Lieutenant  McMath.  Lieutenant  Morgan. 

Lieutenant  Boyd.  Lieutenant  Lyle. 

Ensigns  Wilson.  Lieutenant  Rhea. 

Reaves.  Lieutenant  Davidson. 

Brooks.  Lieutenant  Price. 

Chase.  Adjutant  Whistler. 

Turner. 

Adjutant  Burgess. 
Dr.  Grayson. 

SECOND  REGIMENT   OF  LEVIES 

Captain  Cribbs.  Lieutenant  Colonel  Gibson. 

Captain  Pratt.  Major  Butler. 

Captain  Smith.  Captain  Slough. 

Captain  Purdy.  Lieutenant  Thompson. 

Lieutenant  Kelso.  Lieutenant  Cummins. 

Lieutenant  Lukins.  Lieutenant  Read. 

Ensigns  McMickle.  Ensign  Moorhead. 

Beatty.  Adjutant  Crawford. 

Purdy. 
Adjutant  Anderson. 

KENTUCKY   MILITIA 

Lieutenant  Colonel  Oldham.      Captain  Thomas. 
Captain  Lemmon.  Captain  Maddison. 

Lieutenant  Briggs.  Lieutenant  Owens. 

Ensign  Montgomery.  Lieutenant  Stagnet. 

Ensign  Walter. 
Dr.  Gano. 
6l 


APPENDIX    F 

Letter  of  President  Washington  announcing  to  Congress 
the  defeat  of  Gen.  St.  Clair,  in  which  engagement  Major 
Ferguson  was  killed  : 

''UNITED  STATES,  Dec.  12,  1791. 
Gentlemen  of  the  Senate  and  of  the  House  of  Representatives, 

It  is  with  great  concern  that  I  communicate  to  you  the 
information  received  from  Major  General  St.  Clair,  of  the  mis 
fortune  that  has  befallen  our  troops  under  his  command. 

Although  the  national  loss  is  considerable,  according  to  the 
scale  of  the  event,  yet  it  may  be  repaired  without  great  diffi 
culty,  excepting  the  brave  men  who  have  fallen  on  the  occa 
sion,  and  who  are  a  subject  of  public  as  well  as  private  regret. 

A  further  communication  will  shortly  be  made  of  all  such 
matters  as  shall  be  necessary  to  enable  the  Legislature  to  judge 
of  the  future  measures  which  it  may  be  proper  to  pursue. 

GEORGE  WASHINGTON. 


APPENDIX   G 

Inventory  of  the  Personal  Estate  of  the  late  Major  William 
Ferguson,  dec'd.,  taken  the  seventeenth  day  of  March,  Anno 
Domini  one  thousand  seven  hundred  and  ninety-two, 

by  EDWARD  LYNCH, 

PETER  BENSON. 
In  the  Kitchen. 

1  Tin  plate  Stove £6 .10. 

2  old  chairs 3 . 

i  Pine  Table 3 .   9 

i  pair  of  Andirons,  Shovell  &  Tongs i . 

1  Oval  bake  oven  &  Hooks 15 . 

2  Iron  potts  &  Kettle 12.   6 

i  Copper  Tea  Kettle 10 . 

i  Gridiron  &  Bake  plate 6.8 

1  Dripping  Pan  &  Frying  pan 8.4 

2  Funnels  &  i  Toaster 

2  Tin  Cullinders 

62 


In  the  Kitchen. — Continued, 
i  Tin  lamp 

3  do  cups 

6  do  Pattepans £         9 . 

i  Drudge  box 

i  Iron  Pepper  box 

1  do  Sauce  pan 

2  Pewter  Dishes 9 . 

2  Iron  &  brass  candlesticks 8.4 

i  pair  Flat  Irons  &  Stand 7  . 

Carried  forward £^2-   2.   7 

Brought  forward £i  2.2.7 

i  Spicer  Mill 5  . 

6  Skewers  &  i  Flesh-fork 9 

Crane  Hooks  &  Chain i .   6 

i  Cleaver i .  6 

4  Oyster  knives 

4  Table       Do 

6  Forks  &  i  Carving  knife  &  fork 

8  Plates  (Queens  Ware) 

9  Desert      Do.        Do 

5  Soup         Do.        Do 

i  Pitcher     Do.        Do 

1  Do.       (Earthen) 13.   9 

8  Jars 

6  Earthen  Potts 

3  Do.      basins  &  pipkin 

2  Queens  Ware  Bowls 

2  pair  Snuffers  &  Tray i . 

3  pewter  Spoons 6 

1  Bucket  &  2  pot  Hooks 2.6 

2  Queens  Ware  butter  boats  &  Mug i . 

Carried  forward £l$'  15  •   I 

Brought  forward ;£J3-  J5  •    J 

i  Iron  ladle,  Strainer  &  Rowling  pin 2. 

i  Wash  bench  &  Ironing  board 5.6 

i  Knife  board i  • 

63 


In  the  Cellar. 

i  Safe £  15. 

4  Cedar  Tubs 10 . 

i  Brass  Kettle 2 . 

i  half  barrel  &  brass  Cock 4 . 

i  Market  basket 2 . 

In  the  Parlour. 

8  Cane  Chairs  (stuffed  bottoms) 4.10. 

i  Dining  Table  (Mahogany) 3 . 

i  Breakfast  "               "            1.15. 

i  Looking  Glass 5  •  1 2 .   6 

i  Sett  China  (not  compleat)  &  Tray 3 . 

i  Small  Waiter 12 .   6 

i  Rittenhouse  Stove 3 . 

i  pair  brass  Andirons 2 .   5  . 

i  pair  Tongs  &  Shovel 10 . 

i  Hearth  brush i . 

i  Carpet 2 . 

3  Small  baskets 1.16 

i  Castor  with  Silver  Top 2.10. 

i  pair  plaited  Salts i .   5  . 

i  China  punch  bowl 7 . 

3  large  &  4  small  Queens  Ware  dishes  ...  12.6 

i  Delft  bowl  . , i .  10 

i  Doz.  black  bottles  &  Cork  Screw 4. 

6  Blue  &  White  Cups  &  Saucers  (China)  .  7.6 

i  pair  brown  Tea  pots                         "  2  . 

i  Sugar  bowl  &  Cream  Cup                "  5 . 

Carried  forward ^19.16.11 

Brought  forward ^"19.16.11 

6  breakfast  bowls  &  Saucers 3.9 

3  Tea  Canisters  (Tin) 2 . 

1  Sugar  box          "     i .  10 

4  Decanters 9 . 

5  Wine  Glasses 3 .   9 

3  Tumblers i . 

2  Small  Servers i .   3 


In  the  Parlour. — Continued. 

12  Tea  Spoons  &  Sugar  Tongs ^4.    2 .  6 

4  Table  Spoons 4 . 

i  Cloathe  Brush  &  i  Furniture  Do 2 . 

Books  on  different  subjects 4 . 

i  Map  of  the  Western  Country 2.6 

i  pair  of  gift  Candlesticks 15  . 

i  pair  Window  blinds 4 . 

In  the  front  Chamber. 

i  High  post  bedstead  &  Sacking  bottom. .  3.15. 
I  Suit  bed   Curtains  (Do.)  &  3  Window 

Curtains  with  cornices  &  pins 18.15. 

i  Small  pine  Table 3 .   9 

i  Small  Looking  Glass 2 .   5 . 

4  Cane  Chairs i .  10 . 

i  Pair  Small  Andirons 14. 

i  Case  with  12  bottles 15  . 

In  the  middle  Chamber. 

i  low  post  bedstead 7 .  6 

i  Chair 3 .   9 

In  the  Kitchen  Chamber. 

i  Mahogany  Bureau 4 . 

i  Field  bedstead  &  Sacking  bottom i.io. 

3  Rush  bottom  chairs 12.   6 

Carried  forward £9%  •  i  7  • 

Brought  forward j£>9%  -17. 

i   Travelling  Trunk  containing  3  Dimity 

Jackets,    3    pair   Breeches    &  3  pair 

Stockings i.   6.   6 

3  Feather  beds  with  boulsters  &  pillows 

(weight  100  Ibs.) 13.15. 

3  Blankets 1.17.   6 

3  Coverlets 3 . 

3  Bed  quilts 1.17.   6 

65 


In  the  Kitchen  Chamber. — Continued. 
6J   pair   Sheets,    4  pair   fine  &  3  coarse 

pillow-cases £     15 . 

1  Chintz  Bed  Spread 1.15. 

4  Damask  Table  cloths 3 . 

2  Diaper  7 .   6 

6  fine  &  6  coarse  Towells n.   3 

6  Ib.  Flax 7  .   6 

1 6  half  shares  National  Bank  Stock 1200. 

In  the  hands  of  Mr.  Robert  Patterson  : 

Drs.    Cts. 

378.22  in  Six  P'Cents ^J4J  •  J6.   8 

600             "            "       225. 

1,006.72  in  Cash 377.10.   5 

In  Mrs.  Ferguson's  hands 52.15. 

i  Brass  Kettle 2 . 


^2,132.11.10 

EDW'D  LYNCH,  Sworn  the  nth  day  of  April,  1792,  & 
Before 

ISAAC  WAMPOLE,  D'Reg'r. 

Extracted  from  Probate  Records  in  office  of  Register  of 
Wills  at  Philadelphia. 


APPENDIX    H 

"  The  Council  met. 

PHILADELPHIA,  Thursday,  October  20,  1785. 
Present : 
The  Honorable  CHARLES  BIDDLE,  Esquire,  Vice  President. 

HENRY  HILL,  ) 

JOHN  WHITEHILL,  and  I  ^ 
JOHN  BOYD,  ;.          __  >  Esquires. 

'  JOHN  NEVILLE,  \ 

STEPHEN  BALLET, 

Council  this  day  proceeded  to  the  appointment  of  a  Cap 
tain  of  Artillery  and  Ensign  of  Infantry,  to  compleat  the  num- 

66 


ber  of  officers  required  of  this  State,  in  forming  the  Federal 
Militia  regiment,  commanded  by  Colonel  Josiah  Harmar,  when 
FERGUSON,  Esquire,  was  appointed  Captain  of  Artillery, 
and  Edward  Spear,  Esquire,  Ensign  of  Infantry." 

(Extract  from  Minutes  of  Supreme  Executive  Council  of 
Pennsylvania,  14  Colonial  Records,  p.  559.) 


APPENDIX    I 

31627  A.  G.  O. 

WAR  DEPARTMENT,  ADJUTANT  GENERAL'S  OFFICE, 

WASHINGTON,  January  21,  1896. 

MR.  CHARLES  B.  ALEXANDER, 

No.  4  WEST  58™  STREET,  NEW  YORK  CITY. 
Sir: 

In  reply  to  your  letter  of  the  i2th  instant,  I  have  the  honor 
to  inform  you  that  there  is  no  record  in  this  office  of  the  early 
service  of  Major  William  Ferguson  ;  but  that  it  appears  from 
Heitman's  Historical  Register  of  Officers  of  the  Continental 
Army  that  he  was  from  Pennsylvania  ;  that  he  became  a  Cap 
tain-Lieutenant,  4th  Continental  Artillery,  March  14,  1777  ; 
was  taken  prisoner  at  Bound  Brook  April  13,  1777  ;  exchanged 
December  i,  1780;  promoted  captain  April  14,  1778,  and  re 
tired  January  i,  1783. 

The  official  records  show  that  he  was  appointed  Captain 
United  States  Artillery,  2oth  October,  1785  ;  Captain  Artillery 
Battalion  United  States  Army,  29th  September,  1789;  pro 
moted  Major  Commandant  Artillery  Battalion  United  States 
Army,  4th  March,  1791  ;  and  was  killed  4th  November,  1791, 
near  Fort  Recovery,  Ohio,  in  action  with  Indians  at  St.  Clair's 
defeat. 

Very  respectfully, 

W.  P.  HALL,  Assistant  Adjutant  General. 


APPENDIX   J 

PHILADELPHIA,  December  20,  1898. 
REV.  MAITLAND  ALEXANDER,  D.D. 

43  EAST  125™  STREET,  NEW  YORK. 
Dear  Sir  and  Brother  : 

In  reply  to  yours  of  the  lyth  instant,  I  have  caused  a  care 
ful  search  to  be  made  of  the  records  in  this  office,  and  the 
name  of  William  Ferguson  does  not  appear  among  those  who 
were  members  of  the  Craft  in  this  Jurisdiction. 

In  the  confusion  of  the  war  of  the  Revolution  many  of  our 
early  records  were  lost. 

While  the  Provincial  Grand  Lodge  granted  military  or 
travelling  Warrants,  there  were  no  returns  received  or  kept  of 
the  transactions  of  such  Lodges.  I  herewith  enclose  Historical 
sketch  of  Lodge  No.  19,  by  Brother  George  Griscom,  which 
may  prove  of  interest  to  you,  and  from  which  you  will  learn 
how  difficult  it  is  to  obtain  correct  information  relating  to  the 
matter  you  refer  to. 

Regretting  my  inability  to  furnish  you  the  information  you 
desire,  I  remain, 

Yours  truly  and  fraternally, 

WILLIAM  A.  SINN,  Grand  Secretary. 


APPENDIX    K 

ARMY  RECORD  OF  MAJOR  WILLIAM  FERGUSON 

Heitman's  Historical  Register  of  the  Continental  Army  shows 

that  William  Ferguson  became  a 
Captain-Lieutenant,     4th    Continental    Artillery,    March    14, 

1777. 

He  was  taken  prisoner  at  Bound  Brook,  April  13,  1777. 
Exchanged,  December  i,  1780. 
Promoted  Captain,  April  14,  1778. 
etire   d  January  i,  1783. 

68 


Appointed  Captain  United  States  Artillery,  October  20,  1785. 
Captain   Artillery  Battalion,    United  States  Army,  September 

29,  1789. 
Promoted    Major    Commandant    Artillery   Battalion,    United 

States  Army,  March  4,  1791. 
Killed    November   4,    1791.     Near  Fort  Recovery,    Ohio,  in 

action  with  Indians  at  St.  Clair's  defeat. 


APPENDIX    L 

Extract  from  Smith's  Letters  in  St.  Clair's  Papers  of  the  tes 
timony  of  Colonel  Semble  on  the  Inquiry  ordered  by  President 
Washington. 

Just  after  the  tap  of  the  drums  of  the  morning  of  the  4th 
I  heard  Major  Butler  interrogating  Adams  about  the  success 
of  the  enterprise  of  Captain  Slough  the  preceeding  night. 
Adams  replied  that  they  had  seen  a  number  of  Indians;  that 
he,  Adams,  had  shot  at,  and,  he  believed,  killed  one,  and  wished 
a  party  to  go  out  with  him  and  endeavour  to  find  the  Indian. 
Major  Butler  seemed  displeased  that  they  had  taken  no 
prisoners,  about  this  time  the  firing  began,  an  attack  having 
been  made  on  the  Militia;  I  observed  Major  Ferguson  prepar 
ing  to  fire  his  cannon  on  the  Indians  who  were  pursuing  the 
flying  Militia;  and  soon  saw  him  fire,  which  put  them  in  great 
confusion,  but  they  were  soon  rallied  by  their  Leader  on  horse 
back  dressed  in  a  red  coat. 


APPENDIX    M 

Extract  from  Major  General  Arthur  St.  Clair's  Book  on  his 
Campaign  against  the  Indians.  Note  18  in  appendix;  page  269. 

"  It  was  my  intention  to  have  moved  as  early  as  possible  on 
"  the  4th  of  November  and  by  a  forced  march  to  have  reached 

69 


"  the  Miami  Town  that  day ;  and  to  that  end  all  the  provisions, 
"except  for  two  days  which  the  Men  were  to  carry;  the  bag- 
"  gage  and  knapsacks,  were  to  have  been  left  in  a  small  redoubt 
"that  could  have  been  constructed  in  a  few  hours;  (the  plan 
"  and  situation  of  which  had  been  settled  with  Major  Ferguson) 
"  under  the  guard  of  all  those  who  were  not  fit  to  undertake 
"such  a  march." 


LOAN  DEPT. 


BORROWED 


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(J6057SlOm^ir32  U-tSSsr^fc* 

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